Heathrow Airport has introduced a fully funded mental health support service for residents living within the compulsory purchase zone created by its £33bn third runway expansion.
The west London hub confirmed the new wellbeing service in a letter sent to affected locals last week, describing it as designed to help residents navigate the emotional pressures of the upheaval ahead.
“Your Wellbeing Support Service is set up and funded by Heathrow but delivered independently of Heathrow by experts in mental wellbeing support,” the letter stated, adding that all services would be free and completely confidential.
The package includes a 24/7 helpline offering “round-the-clock access to qualified professionals”, personalised counselling sessions, and direct access to “specialist clinical treatments, including cognitive behavioural therapies”.
According to Heathrow Airport Limited estimates, around 750 homeowners face compulsory purchase orders requiring their homes to be demolished to make way for the proposed 3,500-metre runway.
That figure could rise further if ministers opt for a rival proposal from hotel magnate Surinder Arora, whose cheaper Heathrow West design would affect a greater number of neighbouring properties.
Under Heathrow’s current compensation framework, affected residents would receive a package worth 125 per cent of their home’s market rate, with all stamp duty costs and legal fees also covered by the airport.
The wellbeing service will be delivered by land consent company Ardent Management and provided by Vita Health Group, with the airport confirming it will have no access to residents’ personal data or individual cases.
Heathrow’s director of communities and residential property, Becky Coffin, said: “We know that years of uncertainty around expansion has created anxiety among the local community, which is why we are funding free access to confidential and independent mental health support for those most affected.”
Coffin added: “We acknowledge that the coming years will be incredibly difficult for some, and this support is part of our commitment to be a better neighbour.”
The service arrives as opposition to the project remains fierce, with ministers having published their long-awaited planning document earlier this month, bringing the development a significant step closer to reality.
London mayor Sadiq Khan has been an outspoken critic throughout his eight years in office and is understood to have sought legal advice after Chancellor Rachel Reeves first gave the project the green light last year.
Labour leadership hopeful Andy Burnham has also opposed the plans, warning they risked drawing investment into the capital at the expense of regional airports such as Manchester and Birmingham.
Paul McGuinness, chair of the No 3rd Runway Coalition, said the launch of the mental health service “tells you all you need to know about the complexities of trying to push forward with this doomed project.”
McGuinness added: “Heathrow expansion is not just about building a new airport next to the existing one. Its damaging proposals have real-life impacts on so many of us in communities impacted by the proposals. The Government must urgently recognise this and halt a third runway.”