It now seems that the Labour Party have jumped on the bandwagon of RAF Northolt because they have woken up to what a significant issue its going to be.

A year ago, there seemed to be little interest from the Labour Party. Indeed, one of the first public meetings held at Harrow Borough Football Club was attended by Liberal Democrat and Roxeth Independent Resident councillors, but the newly elected Roxeth Labour councillor Jerry Miles was not present.

All this has now changed and we have had the spectacle of motions and proposals from Labour councillor Mark Ingram trying to prevent the expansion of RAF Northolt.

Regrettably, it seems that the Labour Government has rather different ideas and is looking to expand RAF Northolt into an extra civilian terminal for Heathrow, irrespective of what people in Harrow want and the line of this Government so far has been that if it wants to do something it will, irrespective of what Harrow's Labour council and Harrow Labour MPs state.

After all, Gareth Thomas MP is already quoted as saying: "I disagree with the recommendations. The committee received representations from Hillingdon Council and Friends of the Earth about the environmental impact of such a proposal and they don't appear to have taken that into account."

If the Government is not prepared to take account of the views of local authorities, local organisations and MPs, what chance do ordinary members of the public have of getting their views across?

Let there be no mistake: any increase in traffic at RAF Northolt, whether military or civilian, will disturb the quality of people's lives. Some years ago, I lived in Kings Road and the odd military flight over the house was bad enough. If these proposals go through, the lives of many residents on Harrow Hill and in the south west part of the borough will be blighted.

Liberal Democrats have pledged throughout to fight these proposals but all we get is the spectacle of our attempts being voted down by the Labour Government which insist on going ahead with these proposals, there is nothing the local Labour Party can do apart from hang their heads in shame.

This is the second issue upon which Councillor Ingram is trying to make political capital by opposing something that the Labour Party thought of in the first place.

Last year, it was Field End Recreation Ground, where Councillor Ingram was one of the people who led a campaign against the Labour-controlled Hillingdon Council's proposals to build housing on an open space. Yes, we all won, but it would have been much better if Hillingdon Council hadn't come up with the proposal in the first place.

Now, he's one of the leading lights against RAF Northolt. I support efforts across party that can be made to stop the expansion but, again, it would be much better if the Labour Government wasn't coming up with these proposals in the first place.

Councillor Chris Noyce, Leader,

Liberal Democrat Group, Harrow

Council

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