Heathrow airport expansion: Third runway opponents say noise and air quality targets are unattainable

Runway still on track for 2025, says Heathrow; Gatwick believes it is still in with a shout

Land use: map showing the area taken up by Heathrow if a third runway goes ahead (Department for Transport)

A year to the day after the Government confirmed a third runway at Heathrow was its preferred solution to the airport capacity crunch in South East England, yet another consultation is under way.

The Airports Commission, chaired by Sir Howard Davies, began work in September 2012. It reported in July 2015, recommending a new runway at Heathrow to the north-west of the existing pair, ahead of the other two shortlisted options: an extended northern runway at Heathrow, and a second active runway at Gatwick.

The new runway is expected to deliver at least 700 additional air transport movements daily, increasing capacity at Britain’s busiest airport by slightly more than half.

But it took a further 16 months before the Government accepted the recommendation of the Davies Commission.

An Airports National Policy Statement was published, but has now been revised — with a consultation continuing until 19 December.

The new NPS sets out “specific requirements that the applicant for a new north-west runway at Heathrow Airport will need to meet to gain development consent”, mainly on noise and air quality.

The British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) expressed frustration about the delay, saying: “It has been over a year since the Government announced its support of expansion at Heathrow, yet so far, no firm decisions have been made over how and when this will happen.”

BALPA's General Secretary, Brian Strutton, said: “Heathrow is already pretty much at capacity and we’re concerned that we could lose out to other large European airports such as [Paris] Charles De Gaulle or [Amsterdam] Schiphol if capacity isn’t increased.

“Post-Brexit we need to ensure we encourage international business in the UK and one of the key components of this is efficient transport links.”

The Government concedes that its preferred option has “the greatest negative impact on local communities”.

Opponents of a third runway at Heathrow say environmental considerations should rule the scheme out.

Ruth Cadbury, Labour MP for Brentford and Isleworth — a west London constituency on the main Heathrow approach path — has secured a debate in Westminster Hall on the issue. She said: “It is unacceptable that any expansion at Heathrow can take place when risk of non-compliance to air quality limits remains high. Londoners deserve better than to be subject to breathing toxic air pollution.

“The Government’s continued attempt to support Heathrow expansion totally undermines efforts to make London a more sustainable city and the UK a cleaner country.”

But the Government’s NPS says a third runway is urgently needed to counter the “increased risk of flight delays and unreliability, restricted scope for competition and lower fares, declining domestic connectivity, erosion of the UK’s hub status relative to foreign competitors, and constraining the scope of the aviation sector to deliver wider economic benefits.”

It adds: “London is beginning to find that new routes to important long haul destinations are being set up elsewhere in Europe. This is having an adverse impact on the UK economy, and affecting the country’s global competitiveness.”

Heathrow aims to complete the new runway by 2025, and said that the additional consultation will not affect the timetable.

Gatwick is still actively campaigning for a second runway, saying: “We continue to offer a credible privately-financed runway plan to the Government.”