Sustainability Scrutiny Project: Community views on air quality around Heathrow Airport
We commissioned Thinks Insight and Strategy to conduct a public review of the local community’s views on air quality, including perceptions of Heathrow’s actions and commitments to improve air quality.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the project in a number of ways. There was a two phased approach to scrutinise Heathrow Airport’s actions and commitments to improve air quality, before exploring local residents’ views on the issue. Within the initial scoping stage, we conducted desk research (reviewing 43 sources) and scoping interviews with 11 key stakeholders. This was followed by a community engagement phase comprising of 6 deliberative focus groups with residents from Heathrow Airport’s neighbouring villages and towns, a focused survey of local residents, an open link survey, a webinar and 16 in-person community engagement events. Within the participating sample, there was a focus on residents living closest to Heathrow Airport (within 3 miles) who are most impacted by the airport’s activities.
Heathrow Responds to the Recommendations
Heathrow have now responded to our air quality resident recommendations. We are pleased to hear that Heathrow have welcomed the air quality scrutiny reports. Air quality is one of the most important environmental issues faced by airports.
Heathrow were delighted that air quality was chosen as the first scrutiny project for CISHA. The activity has added significant information to help inform Heathrow with their ongoing work through their Heathrow 2.0 'connecting people and planet' to deliver clean air at and around Heathrow airport.
Read their full response where they explain what they are currently doing and what additional activity they have planned to meet these recommendations. Let us know what you think about Heathrow's response email info@cisha.org by 31 March 2024
Sustainability Scrutiny Project: Community view on air quality around Heathrow Airport
Summary report
For a condensed version of the findings and recommendations see our summary report.
Full report
For a more in depth and detailed look at the project please see our full report.
Resident Recommendations
The research outlines a series of recommendations for how Heathrow Airport can improve its air quality actions and commitments to further benefit local communities. The recommendations fall into five broad categories detailed below:
1. Building evidence on the impact of air pollution around Heathrow Airport on public health
2. Expanding the monitoring infrastructure around Heathrow Airport
3. Improving the way Heathrow Airport communicates and displays air quality data and
4. Introducing independent oversight over Heathrow Airport’s air quality targets
5. Set air quality targets and expectations for airlines and other airport suppliers
For more detail on each recommendation please see our summary report or full report for all the details.
