Airports Commission Chooses Third Runway

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Conditions of Heathrow expansion would include ending of night flights

The Airports Commission has announced that it has selected a third runway at Heathrow as the best option for airport expansion in the capital.

Sir Howard Davies, who chaired the commission, argued that Heathrow's existing international connectivity and the large air freight industry already operating from the location made it clearly a better option than Gatwick.

However, he is also recommending a new package of measures to limit noise and air pollution at the site including ending night flights landing before 6am. There would also be a pledge not to build a fourth runway.

He said he had adopted Hounslow Council's 'Better not Bigger' approach to the airport in his deliberations.

An aviation noise levy would be introduced to fund insulation for homes and schools, and a legal commitment should be made on air quality.

Sir Howard said, "The best answer is to expand Heathrow's capacity through a new north-west runway. Heathrow is best placed to provide the type of capacity which is most urgently required: long haul destinations to new markets. It provides the greatest benefits for business passengers and the broader economy.

The new runway will cost £17.6 billion to build, far higher than the cost of the Gatwick alternative, and will require the demolition of nearly 800 homes. The changes needed to local rail and road links could add another £5 billion to the total cost. The Commission believes this would be funded by private finance.

Nearly 800 homes would have to be demolished to build the new runway which would cost £17.6bn to deliver.

Ruth Cadbury, MP for Brentford and Isleworth saud, "Not only does this mean more noise, more pollution and more congestion for West London, but the measures needed to bring airport pollution within EU Air Quality limits are simply unachievable.

"I am asking the Government to reject the Heathrow expansion proposal and look at Gatwick where an additional runway could be delivered for a fraction of the cost and affecting a fifth of the number of people."

The project will take a decade to complete assuming it is given the go-ahead by the Government. They are due to give their full official response in the autumn and David Cameron has pledged in the past that there would be no new runway at Heathrow. Philip Hammond, the Foreign Secretary, and Theresa May, the Home Secretary, are believed to be against the plan as well as Justine Greening, the MP for Putney and International Development Secretary.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said, “My department has received the final report from the Airports Commission and will now consider that advice in detail.

“As a nation we must be ambitious and forward looking. This is a once in a generation opportunity to answer a vital question.

“I will make a statement to Parliament later today in which I will set out the process for that decision to be made.”

John Stewart Chair of HACAN, said, “Heathrow will face the mother of all challenges to meet the conditions for a 3rd runway set down by Davies. And key members of the Cabinet remain opposed to Heathrow expansion. Faced with these problems there is still no guarantee the Government will back a 3rd runway when it makes its final decision later this year.”

Greenpeace UK executive director John Sauven said, "Davies’ preferred option of a third runway at Heathrow is an environmental and political minefield. It would jeopardise the UK’s climate targets, worsen air pollution in London, and open up a political can of worms for David Cameron. The Prime Minister would do better to ignore the Davies fudge and the aviation industry’s hype, and question instead whether a new runway is needed it all."

July 1, 2015