Heathrow campaigners furious over leak that Sir Howard Davies is backing 2 new runways at Heathrow
Date added: 11 December, 2013
Heathrow campaigners have reacted with anger and disbelief to the leaked news that the Airports Commission Interim Report, which is due to be published on 17th December, favours 2 more runways at Heathrow. From the leaks, the Commission is expected to go for a 3rd runway at Heathrow followed by a 4th Heathrow runway or a second runway at Gatwick. The draft of the report, presented to Chancellor George Osborne, ruled out new runways at Stansted or an Estuary Airport. It is thought, however, that Tuesday’s report may formally retain more options in an attempt to give it some balance. This news will cause fury across whole swathes of London and the Home Counties. with the Airports Commission’s work over the next two years in selecting from its “short list” seen as a “busted flush” with its decision already taken. John Stewart, Chair of HACAN – which represents residents under the Heathrow flight paths, said: “It is astonishing that Davies has put so much faith in an option he must know is politically the hardest to deliver. The one good thing is that he will force political parties to come out for or against a 3rd runway before the 2015 General Election.” Another Heathrow runway means thousands of people stand to lose their homes. They are not going to stand by and let that happen. The campaign against a 3rd runway starts today.
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Campaigners furious Davies favours two new runways at Heathrow
11.12.2013
“The campaign against the third runway at Heathrow has kicked off today”
Campaigners have reacted with anger and disbelief to the news, leaked today (1), that the Airports Commission Interim Report, to be published on 17th December, favours two more runways at Heathrow.
The Commission, chaired by Sir Howard Davies, is expected to go for a third runway at Heathrow followed by a fourth Heathrow runway or a second runway at Gatwick. The draft of the report, presented to Chancellor George Osborne, ruled out new runways at Stansted or an Estuary Airport. It is thought, however, that Tuesday’s report may formally retain more options in an attempt to give it some balance.
John Stewart, who chairs HACAN, which represents residents under the Heathrow flight paths, said, “Davies has put Heathrow front and centre of his thinking. There will be fury across whole swathes of London and the Home Counties. The campaign against a third runway starts today with Davies seen as a busted flush.”
Stewart added, “It is astonishing that Davies has put so much faith in an option he must know is politically the hardest to deliver. The one good thing is that he will force political parties to come out for or against a 3rd runway before the 2015 General Election.”
Geraldine Nicholson, who chaired NoTRAG, (The No Third Runway Action Group), said, “This means that thousands of people stand to lose their homes. If Howard Davies thinks they are going to stand by and let that happen, he is sorely mistaken.”
(1). http://gu.com/p/3y52k/tw (copied below) (sources subsequently confirmed to HACAN that the Guardian article is broadly correct)
www.hacan.org.uk
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The leak:
It is understood that Sir Howard Davies went to see George Osborne with a draft of his Interim Report. It was suggesting a 3rd runway at Heathrow, followed by (if the demand is there and Sir Howard suspects it will be) a 4th runway at Heathrow or a 2nd runway at Gatwick. There were no other options. But it is known that Gatwick Airport have said repeatedly – and correctly – that a second runway at Gatwick is only viable if no more runways are built at Heathrow. A new Heathrow runway reduces their demand.
George Osborne is known to favour a 3rd runway at Heathrow, but it is understood he was surprised Davies had seemed to have made such a big decision at this early stage in the process.
The Commission’s Interim Report (to be released around 7am on Tuesday 17th December, probably without advance copies going to the press, public or politicians) may include some other options, in order to look more balanced. But it appears Sir Howard Davies’s thinking is clear in choosing Heathrow for another runway.
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Heathrow 3rd runway being pushed ahead by government, says Goldsmith
10.12.2013Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith – on Twitter – has claimed the government was trying to push through a 3rd runway at Heathrow by hiding behind initial recommendations made by the independent Airports Commission,chaired by Sir Howard Davies, whose interim report is due out next week. Zac has accused George Osborne of “yearning for a China-style government”, saying on Twitter: “Osborne has spent public money on a review whose only purpose is to make a 3rd runway decision look like it was reached independently.” This comes after “sources close to the inquiry,” which will recommend where a new runway for London should be built, claimed Davies would set out 3 options for extra airport capacity in the south-east in the interim report – which is due to be revealed on the morning of 17th December. The 3 are thought to be: 1). A 3rd Heathrow runway. 2). A 3rd and 4th runway at Heathrow. 3). Another runway at both Heathrow and Gatwick. The Guardian says if the initial speculation is correct and Heathrow is the main focus, this is a potential source of embarrassment for the government. The Guardian adds that: “ One source said Davies had been asked by No 10 to broaden the shortlist to avert any outcry about Heathrow. But this could not be verified.”
. Zac Goldsmith’s tweets on 10th December evening:@ZacGoldsmith
Heathrow third runway being pushed ahead by government, says Goldsmith
George Osborne hiding behind Davies commission, says MP, after claims that report options all involve Heathrow expansion
- 10 December 2013 21.27 GMT
Airplanes at London’s Heathrow airport Photograph: Felipe Trueba/EPA
A Conservative MP has claimed the government was trying to push through a third runway at Heathrow by hiding behind initial recommendations made by the independent airports commission led by Sir Howard Davies, whose interim report is due out next week.
Zac Goldsmith, the MP for Richmond Park and North Kingston, accused George Osborne of “yearning for a China-style government”, saying on Twitter: “Osborne has spent public money on a review whose only purpose is to make a 3rd runway decision look like it was reached independently.”
His outburst came after sources close to the inquiry, which will recommend where a new runway for London should be built, claimed Davies would set out three options for extra airport capacity in the south-east in the interim report: a third Heathrow runway, a four-runway Heathrow, and another runway at both Heathrow and Gatwick.
The Davies commission is due to issue its interim report on December 17 giving a shortlist of optio for long-term airport expansion in the south-east and evaluating whether expansion at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted or the Thames estuary scheme favoured by Boris Johnson should continue to be considered.
If the initial speculation is correct it would mean all options would start with Heathrow expansion – a potential source of embarrassment for the government, which wanted to defer such a toxic political question until after the next general election, when the Davies committee is due to reach its final conclusion.
However, in a brief conversation after the Heathrow speculation surfaced, Davies said it was “untrue” that all options he would recommend would involve a Heathrow runway and said he did “not recognise” in the commission process anything of Goldsmith’s criticisms.
One source said Davies had been asked by No 10 to broaden the shortlist to avert any outcry about Heathrow. But this could not be verified.
Davies has already indicated he would like to narrow the options as much as possible within the constraints of his remit, which was in effect to produce a recommendation for where a new runway should be built in a final report to be delivered after the 2015 general election.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/dec/10/heathrow-third-runway-george-osborne-zac-goldsmith?CMP=twt_gu
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Posted: Wednesday, December 11th, 2013. Filed in General News, News about Airports, Recent News.
