I was back at Heathrow, exploring some of the villages that surround the airport. This long, narrow road above connects Sipson with Harmondsworth and could be 'converted' into the third runway, maybe. I know this area relatively well, having circumnavigated the airport numerous times over the years. It has changed a lot, and there is potentially a lot more change coming.
This area north of the airport is destined to be the home of the third runway and the sixth terminal. If you study the plans that have been published, it can be a bit difficult to get a sense of the size and perspective. It is only when you walk the area on foot that you can truly understand the potential scale of the project.
The expansion will stretch from the edge of Sipson, across the M25, and further west. British Airways’ headquarters at Waterside, a few miles away, will have to be torn down, as will the Colnbrook detention centre, which the UK government uses as a holding facility for people waiting for extradition. Two buildings that neighbor each other but with very different purposes, both relying on the airport next door.
