Plans to expand Heathrow airport by adding a third runway have been announced by the Government, including noise mitigation measures.
It is to be the first full-length runway to be built in the south east since the Second World War.
The Airports Commission had recommended Heathrow over rival Gatwick which had hoped to build a second runway. It is expected that the scheme will cost almost £18bn and see the village of Hardmondsworth demolished.
In a statement, the Government said that the scheme will now be consulted on from the new year.
“The government’s decision … underlines its commitment to keeping the UK open for business now and in the future and as a hub for tourism and trade,” the statement said.
“Today’s decision is a central part of the government’s plan to build a global Britain and an economy that works for everyone. This is just one of a series of major infrastructure investments that will create jobs and opportunities for every part of the UK.”
It said that the third runway at Heathrow would create 77,000 local jobs over the next 14 years, and will bring benefits to the economy worth £61billion.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said:”A new runway at Heathrow will improve connectivity in the UK itself and crucially boost our connections with the rest of the world, supporting exports, trade and job opportunities. This isn’t just a great deal for business, it’s a great deal for passengers who will also benefit from access to more airlines, destinations and flights.”
Fears over noise levels
However, the plans are not without controversy. There are fears that the expansion will lead to an increase in pollution and noise levels, as planes landing and taking off will fly over Wokingham borough.
The government is proposing a six-and-a-half hour ban on scheduled night flights and more stringent night noise restrictions will be a requirement of expansion.
It is also proposing new legally binding noise targets, encouraging the use of quieter planes, and a more reliable and predictable timetable of respite for those living under the final flight path. The airport has also pledged to provide over £700 million for noise insulation for residential properties.
Mr Grayling said that the expansion plans will take local residents into account.
“It is hugely important for those living near the airport. That is why we have made clear that expansion will only be allowed to proceed on the basis of a world class package of compensation and mitigation worth up to £2.6 billion, including community support, insulation, and respite from noise – balancing the benefits and the impacts of expansion.”
Earlier this month, Wokingham MP John Redwood revealed that he had met with the CEO of Heathrow, John Holland-Kaye, to discuss plans for expansion.
Writing in his blog, Mr Redwood said: “[I reminded] him of unfinished business on curbing aircraft noise over my constituency. I have been promised a further letter on what is being done and can be done to alleviate the current noise levels.”
Green party accuses PM of flip-flopping
Green MEP Keith Taylor said that the plans to expand Heathrow lack common sense.
He said: “There are no two ways about it; this is a disastrous decision for the people of the South East, London, Britain, and the planet.
“Welcome to Theresa May’s never-never land, where prime ministers never have to listen to scientists and never have to apologise for increasing carbon dioxide emissions and air pollution levels.
“The Maidenhead MP has flip-flopped on her previous opposition to Heathrow and has kowtowed to the demands of multi-million-pound airport lobbies while ignoring the concerns of her own constituents and the need to take urgent action to mitigate catastrophic climate change.
“Is this what the Prime Minister had in mind when she promised to build a Britain not driven by the interests of a privileged few?”
And Mr Taylor also said that it was greed not need that was the driving force behind Heathrow’s expansion.
He said: “Britain’s ‘airport capacity crisis’ is, and always has been, a dangerous myth driven by corporate greed, not by actual need. Not only is all but one airport in the UK operating under capacity, sponsoring the exponential growth of an aviation industry that is a top-ten global polluter is wholly incompatible with the Prime Minister’s promise to ratify the Paris Agreement.
“This Conservative government, led by a Prime Minister with no mandate, continues to make decisions so manifestly against the interests of the UK and the British people. From Hinckley to Heathrow this administration is on course to be the most ruinous the country has ever seen.”
