Government backs new runway at Heathrow

The government has given its support for a third runway at Heathrow, the first full-length runway to be built in the south-east since the Second World War. The scheme will be taken forward in the form of a draft National Policy Statement (NPS) for consultation.

The government believes that a new runway at Heathrow can be delivered within the UK’s carbon obligations and that concerns over air quality can be addressed.

The decision has been welcomed by a wide range of business groups, but has been criticised by environmental organisations, the Mayor of London, several London boroughs and resident groups.

The proposal is expected to face significant legal challenges and protest campaigns, with arguments over air quality, increased traffic congestion and noise levels being key points of contest.

There is also a debate over the way in which the cost of upgrading surface access to the airport will be divided between the private sector and the public purse. Major projects will include running a section of M25 in a tunnel beneath the runway. Heathrow Airport Ltd is expected to pay toward infrastructure upgrades that directly benefit the airport, but the taxpayer would pay for those that have a wider benefit.

The creation of a third runway at Heathrow was the preferred option of the Airports Commission, led by Sir Howard Davies, which was formed in 2012 published its final report in July 2015. In December 2015 the then Secretary of State for Transport Sir Patrick McLoughlin announced that government accepted the case for airport expansion in the south-east and the Airports Commission’s shortlist of options for expansion.

Economic arguments

The government’s justifies its decision to back expansion of Heathrow on the basis of its boosting the economy. The Department for Transport states a new runway at Heathrow will bring economic benefits to passengers and the wider economy worth up to £61 billion. It also predicts up to 77,000 additional local jobs are to be created over the next 14 years, and the airport has committed to create 5,000 new apprenticeships over the same period.

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.” 

Grayling made a point of setting the decision in a national context. “This is an important issue for the whole country,” he said. “That is why the government’s preferred scheme will be subject to full and fair public consultation. Of course it is also 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.”

Chris Grayling's statement to Parliament can be read by clicking here

The DfT argued that expansion at the airport will better connect the UK to long haul destinations across the globe and to growing world markets including in Asia and South America, bringing a significant boost to trade. “Heathrow currently handles more freight by value than all other UK airports combined, accounting for 31% of the UK’s non-EU trade, and its expansion will create even more opportunities for UK business to get their goods to new markets,” said the department.

The new runway will also improve connectivity within the UK, said the department. “A third runway will support new connections to the UK’s regions as well as safeguarding existing domestic routes,” the DfT said. “Heathrow has proposed a further six new routes to Belfast International, Liverpool, Newquay, Humberside, Prestwick and Durham Tees Valley to be added after expansion. The 8 existing routes offered today are: Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Aberdeen, Belfast City, Manchester, Newcastle and Leeds Bradford. This would provide 14 domestic routes in total, and spread benefits right across the country.”

The government will also take necessary steps including, where appropriate, ring-fencing a suitable proportion of new slots for domestic routes, to ensure enhanced connectivity within the UK.

The DfT predicted the new runway will have benefits for travellers. The department stated: “The Airports Commission, chaired by Sir Howard Davies, anticipated that a new runway would bring in new capacity to meet demand and allow greater levels of competition, lowering fares even after taking into account the costs of construction.

The department states that the expansion costs will be paid for by the private sector, not by the taxpayer. “It will be for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), as the independent industry regulator, to work with Heathrow Airport Ltd and airlines operating at the airport, on the detailed design and costs to ensure the scheme remains affordable,” said the DfT. “The government expects the industry to work together to drive down costs to benefit passengers. The aim should be to deliver a plan for expansion that keeps landing charges close to current levels.”

The government’s case on environmental issues

The government is stressing that the environmental impacts of the new runway will be mitigated. “Despite the increase in flights Heathrow Airport Ltd has made firm commitments to noise reduction,” the DfT said. “The government will propose that a six-and-a-half hour ban on scheduled night flights will be introduced for the first time at Heathrow and will make more stringent night noise restrictions a requirement of expansion. The timing of this ban will be determined through consultation.

“Furthermore, the government proposes 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 £700m for noise insulation for residential properties.”

The DfT also says that the project to create the new runway will help to reduce noise and carbon emissions. “Proposals will be brought forward to support improvements to airspace and how to manage noise, including the way in which affected communities can best be engaged and whether there is a role for a new independent aviation noise body as the Airports Commission recommended,” the department said. "The Airports Commission concluded that, even with the extra flights added by the airport’s expansion, fewer people would be affected by noise from Heathrow by 2030 than are today."

The DfT said its own research shows the new runway would not breach air quality limits. “Following the clear recommendation of the Airports Commission the government conducted more work on the environmental impact. That work is now complete and confirms that a new runway at Heathrow is deliverable within air quality limits, if necessary mitigation measures are put in place, in line with the ‘National air quality plan’, published in December 2015.

The government claims that the UK has achieved significant improvements in air quality across a range of pollutants. “Emissions of nitrogen oxides in the UK fell by 41% between 2005 and 2014,” it stated. “Heathrow’s scheme includes plans for improved public transport links and for an ultra-low emissions zone for all airport vehicles by 2025. The government will make meeting air quality legal requirements a condition of planning approval.”

The DfT also pointed out that earlier this month the world’s airlines agreed to offset their emissions with reductions from other sectors to deliver carbon neutral growth for the aviation sector from 2020.

The planning process

A draft National Planning Statement (NPS) setting out why the government believes this scheme is the right one for the UK will be published in the new year when the public will be consulted on the proposals.

The airport’s expansion would be delivered via a faster planning process under the 2008 Planning Act and 2011 Localism Act. The government will set out the airport scheme it wants, along with supporting evidence, in its NPS. Public and Members of Parliament will be consulted and there will be a vote in the House of Commons. This will be followed by a planning application by the airport to the Planning Inspector who will take a view and advise government of his decision. Final sign off will be by the Secretary of State for Transport.

In time, a new runway will require the redesign of the airport’s flightpaths. The government expects to consult in the new year on a range of national proposals covering noise and airspace.

Expansion at Heathrow Airport Ltd will be accompanied by a package of mitigation measures that will be subject to consultation with the public as part of the draft NPS consultation process. The measures will also be subject to regulatory approval by the CAA.

The Department for Transport has set up a working group with Her Majesty’s Treasury and the Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs on air quality. This is part of a 10-year project to accelerate improvements in air quality.