WEST LONDON AIR TERMINAL (Hansard, 22 July 1969)

§ Lord GISBOROUGH
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

§ The MINISTER of STATE, FOREIGN and COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (Lord Shepherd)
My Lords, the London Transport Board and British European Airways have in the past jointly considered very carefully the possibility of providing a direct subway including, perhaps, a travellator—between the Underground station and the Air Terminal. Even without the travellator the cost would be at least £1 million. The high cost reflects the engineering problems that arise through the station and Terminal being some 400 yards apart and at quite different levels. In view of the relatively limited use that would be likely to be made of such a subway, the Government do not consider such expenditure would be justified. Other proposals have also been examined but all of them are considered to be too expensive, in relation to their benefits, to be justified in present circumstances.

§ Lord GISBOROUGH
My Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for his Answer, may I ask whether, in view of the fact that many tourists who arrive in this country have to carry their bags to the station, the noble Lord does not feel that the possibility might be considered of putting a new station underneath the Terminal itself, on either the Circle or the District Line? Also does not the noble Lord agree that the distance between that station and Gloucester Road station would be no more than, for example, that between Marylebone Station and Baker Street Station, which are a quarter of a mile apart, as are many other stations?

§ Lord SHEPHERD
My Lords, the suggestion of a new station was considered in your Lordships' House some 12 or 18 months ago, and I then pointed out that one of the difficulties is the very limited space for the provision of such a station. Also at that point there is a critical position in regard to the crossing of lines, some of them carrying fairly fast traffic, and this would have a major effect on the whole of the Underground system. Another point we have to bear in mind is that the Gloucester Road area is now being considered by the Greater London Council for major development, and it may well be that as a consequence of that major development some changes could be made to the Gloucester Road station, perhaps dealing in some part with the present difficulty.

§ Lord POPPLEWELL
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that many of us are disappointed with the first part of his Answer, because it is the same reply that has been received on more than one occasion in this House? The second half of my noble friend's Answer is extremely interesting, and we hope that something may take place. But can he say whether there is any prospect of the Railways Board or the London Transport Board taking a rail service—either Tube or overhead—out of London Airport itself? Some publicity has been given recently in articles in the Press to reports that this proposal was under consideration. Is my noble friend able to give any indication whether this is a "starter" or not?

§ Lord SHEPHERD
My Lords, I am sorry that I disappointed my noble friend, but at least I think he will agree that I am being consistent with the facts. My noble friend has drawn attention to the question of the building of a rail link from London to Heathrow. These proposals are now being considered by my right honourable friend, and naturally such a rail link would have a major effect upon the B.E.A. Terminal itself.

§ Viscount ADDISON
My Lords, can the noble Lord say whether he will be willing to approach the London Transport Board again in order to have another look at the problem of building a platform, or two platforms, either on the Circle Line or on the District Line between Gloucester Road and Earl's 768 Court, both of which lines run underneath the terminal at Gloucester Road?

§ Lord SHEPHERD
My Lords, I have already pointed out that this is a position where a number of lines cross and they carry very heavy traffic, some of it fast, through-traffic. This is a critical point and any change there would disrupt the whole of the Underground service. If my noble friend asks me to approach the London Transport Board naturally I shall be willing to do so, but I think the answer I shall give will be the same.

§ Lord FORBES
My Lords, can the noble Lord say if an estimate has been made as to the loss of revenue to the airlines due to the late arrival of buses from the Terminal owing to congestion on the roads at certain times?

§ Lord SHEPHERD
My Lords, that is an interesting supplementary question though I hardly see how it arises from the Question on the Order Paper. However, I will write to the noble Lord.

§ Lord MONTAGU of BEAULIEU
My Lords, am I right in thinking that there is a review going on about the whole question of transport between Heathrow and Central London, in which case schemes like a monorail should be discussed and considered before any railway is decided upon?

§ Lord SHEPHERD
My Lords, the noble Lord must be right, because this is what I said to my noble friend Lord Popplewell.

§ Lord BIRDWOOD
My Lords, might not the Government investigate whether, in view of the very large hotel development directly opposite the Terminal, it might be in the interests of the developers themselves to share the cost of any pause at the Terminal?

§ Lord SHEPHERD
My Lords, in reply to an earlier supplementary question I said that the Greater London Council are considering a whole major scheme of redevelopment in the Gloucester Road area. This is a factor which I said would be borne in mind.

§ Lord BIRDWOOD
My Lords, I did not realise that the hotel was automatically part of that redevelopment.

Earl JELLICOE
My Lords, arising out of Lord Popplewell's supplementary 769 question, could the noble Lord, Lord Shepherd, tell us when we can expect to learn the results of the proposals for a direct railway between Victoria Station and Heathrow Airport?

§ Lord SHEPHERD
My Lords, this is a very involved question. My right honourable friend is giving urgent consideration to it, because, of course, many people are very interested in this matter. If there is any information I can give to the noble Earl, I will write to him.