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New report damns £25bn public health impact of third runway at Heathrow

A new report by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has outlined the potential public health impact of a third runway at Heathrow Airport.

‘Landing the Right Airport’, released on Saturday, makes the bold estimation that long-term health effects from the added noise of any extra runway would be between £20bn to £25bn over 60 years.

In a further blow to Heathrow, citing evidence provided by the Airport Commission, the report also claims that the increased air traffic would expose a further 124 more schools and 43,000 school children to a level of aircraft noise which has been shown to affect reading and memory.

It comes as the outgoing Mayor sets out his stall for a new hub airport in the east of the capital in the Thames Estuary, or an expansion of Stansted, over any added runways at either Gatwick or Heathrow.

Debate over the merits and disadvantages of a third runway at Heathrow have become increasingly heated in recent months, with the airport staking its claims amidst a background of sustained protests.

In light of the report, Johnson, said: “There is no silver bullet for the noise nightmare of a third runway at Heathrow and any approval of expansion would clearly result in decades of legal challenges.

“Its cramped urban location simply cannot accommodate the kind of airport this country requires to compete on the global stage and the cost to the taxpayer of necessary road and rail connections would be huge, however well disguised.

“That means the Government has a bold decision to make - but not a difficult one. They must surely finally recognise that the only long term vision that sustains our economy and safeguards our health is to build a four runway hub airport at the Thames Estuary or Stansted.”

A decision is due in the summer about whether Heathrow Airport will be granted permission for a third runway.

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