Summary of panel debate:Chair EG's Damian Wild
Gareth Osborn, director Thames Valley, SEGRO
Allan Gregory, director of surface access, BAA
Ruth Bagley, chief executive, Slough Borough council
Scott Witchalls, partner, Peter Brett Associates
Paul Newman, project sponsor - Reading Station, Network Rail
DW to Tony Travers: If you'd been asked to conduct at airport review what would be your conclusion?
TT common sense would dictate that as Heathrow is already a success but building on that success would be sensible. But people living in the area want something but don't want more of it and that is the problem. Property values under the flight path are quite expensive so that obviously isn't a problem. There is a risk that the campaigning against the expansion will shift the airport to the east. If Heathrow can't be expanded then should be a hub in the east
DW Is WRATH (Western Rail Access to Heathrow) going to solve all the problems?
SW Isn't going to solve all but we have to build ourselves out of these problems. It has significant benefits but we need other infrastructure. Got to plan for rapid housing growth. Having been through the mill to get funding for schemes like Reading Station off the ground but a lot of it depends on who you are asking. Down side is that business doesn't have a vote. It was a vote winner to say we won't expand Heathrow.
Sometimes work is a grind. Sometimes, just sometimes it looks like this.
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