John Rowland wrote:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/5024770.stm

I can't see the logic of building houses at Heathrow and then complaining
about the job losses devastating West London. Surely Heathrow should be
turned into an industrial estate/business park, if anything.

Absolutely agree. Heathrow is one of the most badly planned airports in
Europe. Not only does it reduce the quality of life for millions living
in West London, it is also a huge security threat. How can we allow a
situation where routinely, widebody aircraft fly over central London at
30 second intervals and low altitude? That's just asking for a huge
disaster.

What I suggest: Build a completely new airport with four runways
somewhere in the vicinity of Northhampton. This location is closer to
the population center of mass of England, well connected, and far away
from any large residential areas. Connect the airport to central London
with a 300mph maglev (like the one in Shanghai). The journey to the
airport would take 15 min, which isn't any longer than currently by
Heathrow express.

The entire project could be funded by a) selling the land occipied by
Heathrow b) imposing a one-off 10% windfall tax on property buyers in
the areas in West London affected by aircraft noise. House prices near
the airport should be expected to increase if it is closed.

It has been done in Hong Kong. Why can't it be done in London?