Government approves Heathrow airport expansion
The government has approved the expansion of Heathrow airport, to include a third runway, in order to expand the UK’s airport capacity.
The news follows a study conducted by Sir Howard Davies, published in 2015, which recommended building a third runway at Heathrow, a new runway at Gatwick or extending one of Heathrow's existing runways.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling praised the decision as ’truly momentous’ and said the expansion would improve the UK's connections with the rest of the world and support trade and jobs.
The decision over whether airport capacity should be expanded in the South East of England has been one of controversy, with many critics warning of increased air and noise pollution.
A public consultation is now set to be held on the effects of airport expansion before the government makes a final decision as part of a national policy statement on aviation.
MPs will then vote on that decision in the winter of 2017-18, although it is unlikely that the new runway will be operational before 2025.
Please register to comment on this article
Latest news....
09/03/2020 - 11:50
More than 3.6 million additional cars were licensed between 2009 and 2019, enough to cover the entire British coastline.
06/03/2020 - 10:00
A cross-party group of MPs have launched a new parliamentary inquiry into bus services in shire counties and rural areas.
11/02/2020 - 10:00
Boris Johnson confirms HS2 will go ahead, alongside radical improvements to local transport networks across the country.
14/08/2019 - 09:50
The Department for Transport (DfT) has issued new guidance to help prevent terrorists getting access to commercial vehicles to be used in attacks.
13/08/2019 - 09:48
The Transport Committee recommends that government extends the ban on hand-held devices to hands-free phones
