Decision on Heathrow 3rd runway delayed till January
been put back to January 2009, the Department for Transport has said.
had been expected before Christmas.
the issue and he intended to give “proper consideration” to the issue.
for extra runway capacity in south east England in principle but would only approve
the project if strict air quality and noise guarantees could be met.
would be lost to airports on the continent if nothing was done.
Dems oppose a third runway and some Labour backbenchers have called for a rethink.
the government to consider the alternatives to a new runway.
runway at Heathrow – subject to environmental controls.
and he had begun to consider the evidence, including 70,000 responses to the consultation.
this issue to be resolved. I am equally aware of the importance of reaching the
right conclusion,” he said.
that I give proper consideration to the evidence before me and will therefore
take more time before making an announcement to the House, in January 2009.”
Future of Air Transport" made clear that given the economic benefits to the United
Kingdom, the Government supports the further development of Heathrow by adding
a third runway and exploring the scope for making greater use of the existing
runways, subject to meeting strict local conditions on air quality, noise and
improving public transport access.
a statement to the House on 8 July 2008 (Column 75WS) which explained progress
following the "Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport" consultation, which closed
on 27 February 2008. She announced a further consultative exercise as part of
delivering a full equalities impact assessment and the intention to inform the
House of the decision on the future development of Heathrow before the end of
the year. The further consultative exercise closed on 9 November 2008.
the opportunity to hear views from across the House in debate on 5 November and
to begin considering the evidence, including the 70,000 responses to the consultation.
this issue to be resolved. I am equally aware of the importance of reaching the
right conclusion.
that I give proper consideration to the evidence before me and will therefore
take more time before making an announcement to the House, in January 2009.
morning in a surprise move by the British government amid cabinet splits over
the controversial project.
the end of January.
will ensure that I give proper consideration to the evidence before me and will
therefore take more time before making an announcement to the House in January
2009."
minsters including Hilary Benn, David Miliband, Ed Miliband, Harriet Harman and
John Denham.
lack of capacity at the west London site, there have been fierce protests by green
campaigners and some MPs.
from a larger airport – scaled the walls of the House of Commons to hang a banner.
[
the "pro-runway faction" in government was in retreat.
into the open as more ministers realise that the business case for expansion is
deeply flawed while the environmental case for blocking a new runway is overwhelming."
trains.
and consultation which he needed to absorb, having become transport secretary
only two months ago.
that I have understood all of the revelant issues, " he said.
– more than the entire population of the UK.
Spanish owner BAA.
the congestion, noise and disturbance caused by the sprawling airport.
has argued strongly that the extra infrastructure is sorely needed.
and desperately needed the third runway, which would take flights from 480,000
to 700,000 a year.
"The government set out its position in the 2003 white paper, that we are in favour
of the extension."
noise and would consider these carefully before his final decision.
take, in effect, a planning decision and must weight up all the evidence very
carefully," he said.
rethink with 140 MPs having signed a motion calling for ministers to reject the
plans.
noise pollution than before.
amid fears that they could pay for the government’s backing of the project at
the ballot box in the next general election.
of concerns that it will breach European directives on air quality and noise levels.
limits thanks to ultra-green aircraft. But the technology has not been developed
yet.
will make a mockery of the government’s ambitious new target of cutting greenhouse
gases by 80 per cent by 2050.
the extra capacity unnecessary.
of fast rail links to the north, which has not gone down well with some business
groups.
at 97 per cent of its capacity even if new high-speed rail services were introduced.
Paris or Frankfurt – threatening thousands of jobs – unless it increased capacity.
but some believe this is not a capacity issue but because airlines have cherry-picked
the most profitable routes.
as a hub for passengers travelling between continental Europe and the rest of
the world but opponents say the net benefits are little more than the price of
a cup of coffee per passenger.
at Heathrow, claim that transfer passengers are crucial.
of daily services that could be supported on individual routes would suffer.