Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, hints at scrapping Heathrow expansion and “taking a really close look” at whether it stacks up

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has hinted that the Government could scrap Heathrow expansion, in his first public utterances on the topic in his new job. He told Sky News that “there are questions about whether the whole plan stacks up” and that Heathrow are going to need to “make sure they bring in enough income to justify the billions of pounds spent on it.” Mr Shapps also mentioned the upcoming legal challenge appeal, starting on Thursday 17 October. He said “there are of course court cases to do with emissions, that sort of thing so what we’ve said is we’ll watch that process very carefully and in the meantime I’ll be having a really close look at whether figures stack up or whether building more capacity, another runway there, would add to the charges to such an extent that it doesn’t.” Rob Barnstone, from the No 3rd Runway Coalition said: “Whether it is Heathrow’s overconfidence of being able to deliver the necessary funds for this project or the catastrophic environmental impacts, it is becoming clearer than ever that a third runway won’t be able to be delivered on time or budget and certainly does not fit within the Government’s environmental commitments of net zero emissions by 2050.”

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Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, hints at scrapping Heathrow expansion

14th August 2019 (No 3rd Runway Coalition press release(

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps hinted that the Government could scrap Heathrow expansion in his first public utterances on the topic as transport secretary (1).

Mr Shapps told Sky News that “there are questions about whether the whole plan stacks up” and that Heathrow are going to need to “make sure they bring in enough income to justify the billions of pounds spent on it.”

Mr Shapps also mentioned the upcoming legal challenge, which will be heard (and live-streamed) at the Court of Appeal from Thursday 17 October, commenting that “there are of course court cases to do with emissions, that sort of thing so what we’ve said is we’ll watch that process very carefully and in the meantime I’ll be having a really close look at whether figures stack up or whether building more capacity, another runway there, would add to the charges to such an extent that it doesn’t.”

Responding to the Transport Secretary’s comments, Rob Barnstone from Stop Heathrow Expansion said:

“This refreshing move, compared with Mr Shapps’ predecessor, acknowledges the serious hurdles that Heathrow are far from ever overcoming.

“Whether it is Heathrow’s overconfidence of being able to deliver the necessary funds for this project or the catastrophic environmental impacts, it is becoming clearer than ever that a third runway won’t be able to be delivered on time or budget and certainly does not fit within the Government’s environmental commitments of net zero emissions by 2050.”

ENDS.

Notes:

  1. Comments by Mr. Shapps’ Sky News Interview – https://youtu.be/lEOyTiqXDHw
  2. Comments in this piece from Politics Home https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/transport/air-transport/news/105918/transport-secretary-grant-shapps-suggests-boris-johnson
  3. Heathrow Judicial Review begins 17 October – more information https://planb.earth/court-grants-plan-b-permission-to-appeal-on-heathrow-expansion/ and https://planb.earth/heathrow-appeal-to-be-live-streamed/

For more information:


 

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps suggests Boris Johnson could scrap Heathrow third runway plan

Written by: Nicholas Mairs (Politics Home)

14th August 2019

Grant Shapps has suggested that Boris Johnson could abandon plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport.

The Transport Secretary said it was unclear whether the project “stacks up” financially and comes amid doubts over whether the new Prime Minister would pursue the project that he has long voiced opposition to.

Mr Johnson vowed to lie down “in front of those bulldozers” to stop its construction when he was elected as the MP for South Uxbridge and Ruislip in 2015.

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When asked what the new Government’s position was on the £14bn runway, Mr Shapps told Sky News: “My view and the Prime Minister’s view is the same actually.

“He was obviously and famously so against it. Of course Parliament has voted for it with a massive majority.

“Most people accept we need more south-east airport capacity, Parliament’s voted for Heathrow.”

But he added: “There are questions about whether the whole plan stacks up.

“This is privately funded. They’re going to need to make sure they bring in enough income to justify the billions of pounds spent on it, that’s something that we’ll be taking a really, really close look at, I certainly will as the new Transport Secretary.”

When asked whether the project, backed by 415-119 MPs last year, would go ahead despite the PM’s opposition, he added: “[Mr Johnson has] also said that subsequent parliaments voted for it.

“But there are of course court cases to do with emissions, that sort of thing so what we’ve said is we’ll watch that process very carefully and in the meantime I’ll be having a really close look at whether figures stack up or whether building more capacity, another runway there, would add to the charges to such an extent that it doesn’t.”

MPs from across the House have been divided over the case for a third runway amid fears that it could disrupt local communities and over its impact on the environment.

Labour last year gave its MPs a free vote on the issue, with Shadow Chancellor and Hayes and Harlington MP John McDonnell one of the project’s staunchest opponents.

https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/transport/air-transport/news/105918/transport-secretary-grant-shapps-suggests-boris-johnson

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