Park proposal hits the buffers

9:20am Sunday 16th November 2008

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BAA’s plans to build a busy train depot on a Feltham conservation area as part of its Airtrack project has quashed Hounslow Council’s hopes to develop the site into a new metropolitan park.

The council held discussions with London Wildlife Trust, National Heritage, London Mayor Boris Johnson, Richmond Council and Twickenham MP Vincent Cable to try and secure funding for the regional beauty spot.

But the proposals hit the buffers after BAA announced it wanted the land as part of its rail link between Heathrow Terminal 5 and the existing network.

Councillor Peter Hills, vice-chairman of the west area committee, said the groundwork for the park plans had been completed and it would be a “big disappointment” if they were pushed aside to make way for the air operator.

He said: “We were just getting things in gear and getting things moving, trying to get pots of money from people for this park, and now we have had this lumbered on our doorstep.

“Of course it doesn’t look like it will happen now. The concerning thing is that these decisions will not be made by local Government, they will be made by a committee from the national Government.

“When dealing with organisations like BAA, they have such muscle in these things, the little people tend to get trodden over.”

He welcomed the idea of creating extended rail links, saying it was important to get residents living next to Heathrow airport to use alternative forms of transport.

But he said councillors were “shocked” when they discovered the proposals to reopen the marshalling yard, which would see a new bridge across the River Crane providing access to the depot from Godfrey Way across the Royal Mail car park.

BAA has said the footpath and cycleway along the river would be preserved, and it would take measures to minimise the effects on important plants and animals.

Coun Hills said: “I think basically the public who would live on the doorstep would be very concerned about the size of the development, the noise impact and the traffic impact.

“We will be looking for massive compensation for the residents.”

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