Living Near Heathrow Airport

Living Near the Airport

The Heathrow area, located to the west of the capital has always been a hub of activity even since the airport's terminal 1 started life as an army surplus tent just a short walk from the aircraft.

It wasn't long before London needed a large modern airport so development began in the Hamlet of Heathrow and across nearby areas to build what is today the UK's busiest airport.

The development of the airport and its expanding terminals had various effects on the surrounding areas. Since Heathrow first opened, a huge amount of employment opportunities have arisen and continue to arise with the current development of Terminal 5 estimated by BAA to bring about 16,000 new jobs. This is bound to benefit people living in the Heathrow area and perhaps encourage people to move to the area.

On the other hand, development at Heathrow may be frowned upon by current residents due to the detrimental effects some say it may have on the area. An increase in air traffic is inevitable which will bring more pollution and noise to the area. It is estimated that the number of passengers travelling by air will be as high as 140 million in London by 2010 and 85-90 million of these will be at Heathrow.

How are property prices in the Heathrow area being affected by the airport and its continual development? For regular travellers, living close-by may be a desirable option but the detrimental effects may bring prices down. If you currently live close to the airport or are considering a move to the area then you may be interested in looking at the changing property market by signing on to the OurProperty house price site.

If you are interested in house price statistics for the areas close to Heathrow airport then click on the relevant town below: