Is the British government looking for an exit strategy on a new runway? After months and years of waiting, no decision has been made about the best location for airport expansion in the southeast of the UK.
Instead the government says it will wait until next year to announce its plans. The reason?
Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin said: ‘The case for aviation expansion is clear – but it’s vitally important we get the decision right so that it will benefit generations to come. We will undertake more work on environmental impacts, including air quality, noise and carbon. Location decision subject to further consideration on environmental impacts and the best possible mitigation measures.’
The Airports Commission headed by Sir Howard Davies has emphasised that the south-east needs more runway capacity by 2030. He shortlisted three options with a clear preference for Heathrow. The government agrees with the Airports Commission’s shortlist of options, all of which it concluded were viable. But the Airports Sub Committee says more work is needed to conclude over next summer. The Airports Commission’s air quality analysis will be tested using the latest projected future concentrations of nitrogen dioxide.
McLaughlin says, ‘We must develop the best possible package of measures to mitigate the impacts on local people. We will continue work on all the shortlisted locations, so that the timetable for more capacity set out by Sir Howard is met. At the first opportunity I will make a statement to the House to make clear our plans.’
The next step according to the Government is to continue to develop ‘the best possible package of measures to mitigate the impacts on local people and the environment. This will include a package for local communities to include compensation, maximising local economic opportunities through new jobs and apprenticeships, and measures to tackle noise. More work will be done on environmental impacts.’
What is also needed is an Airports National Policy Statement (NPS), to enable the necessary ‘consents’.
What is clear is there is a huge hurdle of bureaucracy hampering any clear decision and action. And critics are saying that the London mayoral race is creating a major obstacle, since the Conservative candidate is opposed to runway expansion at Heathrow. Business leaders say the delay is hurting the economy. International Airlines Group CEO Willie Walsh has said if a decision can’t be made imminently, then the company, the biggest airline group in the UK, will take its business to Madrid or Dublin. So it looks as if Heathrow may no longer be the clear winner.
