New Heathrow railway must not harm moors - council

Heathrow Airport says journeys between Staines and Terminal 5 would take six minutes on the new railway

A Surrey council has said it will support a new rail link between Staines and Heathrow Airport on the condition that an area of moorland is protected.

The Heathrow Southern Rail (HSR) scheme would create a direct rail route into the airport, which supporters say would cut traffic, make it easier to get to work at Heathrow and boost the local economy.

However, Spelthorne Borough Council said it would back the project only if trains definitely stopped in Staines and independent studies showed would be no damage to Staines Moor, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Steven Costello, executive director at HSR, told the BBC ensuring the moorland was completely untouched was "very much something we can guarantee".

The council also said it wanted to check and agree to final details of the plan before giving full approval.

Deep tunnel

The proposed route would use the current railway between Staines and Windsor, then go into a new tunnel under Staines Moor. This is meant to avoid spoiling the landscape.

The alternative Southern Light Rail proposal was ruled out after councillors said it would pose greater risks to privacy, the landscape and the environment.

Councillor Chris Bateson, who led the council's review of the plans, said: "We've looked at both proposals in detail.

"A direct rail link from Staines to Heathrow could reduce congestion and support our local economy. But we must protect Staines Moor and make sure residents benefit."

Councillor Howard Williams, who chairs the council's business, infrastructure and growth committee, said the environment "can't pay the price for progress".

Mr Costello said HSR's "top tier tech team" will tunnel deep enough beneath the moorland so the landscape is unaffected, and that HSR is "very conscious" of its importance.

"All the conditions are very reasonable, it's about Staines and beyond," he said.