Here's what Heathrow could look like

MPs will be asked to vote on expanding Heathrow airport within weeks after the government gave the go ahead for a third runway.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling told the House of Commons the cabinet had agreed the controversial move, an action he described as "in the national interest".

Image: An artist's impression of how Heathrow could look with a third runway

However, Mr Grayling admitted the decision was not "easy" and noted the "strength of feeling" among local residents in west London and under the airport's flight path.

Critics of Heathrow expansion include a number of prominent Tory MPs as well as Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who has previously vowed to lie down "in front of those bulldozers and stop the building, stop the construction of that third runway".

Image: MPs will decide whether to back the government's support for a third Heathrow runway

After Mr Grayling's delivery of an Airports National Policy Statement, a vote on a third runway is now required in the House of Commons within 21 sitting days.

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It was reported Mr Johnson will get round having to vote against the government by travelling abroad when the vote is held.

Mr Grayling revealed some dissent within cabinet at the decision - reported to have only come from Mr Johnson - but dodged a question on whether anti-expansion ministers would be able to navigate around collective responsibility on the issue.

Watch in full: Government's Heathrow decision

Downing Street later revealed the prime minister has written to ministers saying they will be permitted to state long-standing views on Heathrow to local media.

A spokesman revealed Mr Johnson "restated his own position, which is a long-standing one" during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning.

Labour also face their own internal divisions on the issue, with shadow chancellor John McDonnell opposed to expansion, but leading trade unions supportive of a new runway at Heathrow.

Image: Boris Johnson is opposed to Heathrow expansion

Despite Tuesday's announcement, Mr Grayling confessed "a new operational runway at Heathrow is still a number of years away" with the airport's owners setting a target date of 2026.

But, the transport secretary stressed the estimated economic benefits of expanding the UK's largest airport.

He said: "Heathrow is already full and the evidence shows the remaining London airports won't be far behind.

"Despite being the busiest two-runway airport in the world, Heathrow's capacity constraints mean it is falling behind its global competitors - impacting the UK's economy and global trading opportunities.

"Expansion at Heathrow will bring real benefits across the country including a boost of up to £74bn to passengers and the wider economy, providing better connections to growing world markets, and increasing flights to more long haul destinations.

"Heathrow is a nationally significant freight hub, carrying more freight by value than all other UK airports combined.

"A third runway would enable it nearly to double its current freight capacity."

Image: John McDonnell remains 'implacably opposed'

Mr Grayling pledged £2.6bn for local communities in compensation, noise insulation and improvements to local amenities, which he said was 10 times bigger than under a previous bid for a third runway in 2009.

Prime Minister Theresa May, whose Maidenhead constituents live under the flight path, opposed those plans at the time, although criticisms published on her personal website at the time appear to have since been deleted.

Mr Grayling also told MPs the privately-financed expansion will secure "global connectivity, creating tens of thousands of local jobs and apprenticeships, and boosting our economy for future generations".

Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald kept coy on Labour's stance, outlining his party's four tests for airport expansion.

He said: "Expansion should only happen if it can effectively deliver on the capacity demands, if noise and air quality issues are fully addressed, if the UK's climate change obligations are met in their entirety, and that growth across the country is supported.

"We owe it to future generations to get all of these factors absolutely right, but if the correct balance isn't found then the law courts will quite rightly intervene."

Mr McDonald also highlighted Mr Grayling's difficulties amid ongoing rail chaos, asking why MPs should "accept what he says about the most significant of infrastructure projects".

Telling Mr Grayling that MPs had lost confidence in him, Mr McDonald claimed he was only still in his role because "the prime minister is too weak to sack him".

Mr McDonnell confirmed he remains "implacably opposed" to expansion at Heathrow, posting on Twitter: "I am even more convinced that this would be a costly, environmental and social disaster that will never be built."

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has also previously voiced his opposition to a new runway, but faces a tricky balancing act after a number of his trade union allies joined business groups in praising the government's decision and urged MPs to back Heathrow expansion.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable called for a free vote on the issue, in order for MPs to "vote with their consciences on an issue that has negative economic consequences across many regions of the country".

Prominent Tory backbenchers Justine Greening, the former education secretary, and Zac Goldsmith criticised the government's decision.</s>A third runway at Heathrow Airport was approved Tuesday by Prime Minister Theresa May's Cabinet, setting the stage for a parliamentary vote on the matter after years of debate over how to increase airport capacity around London.</s>LONDON (AP) — The Latest on the third runway at Heathrow Airport (all times local):

Britain's government has given the go-ahead for the construction of a third runway at London's Heathrow Airport — a decision that paves the way for the long-running issue to be put up for a parliamentary vote.

The Department for Transportation last year asked the public for comments on the plans to build the new runway at Heathrow, arguing the project would permit an additional 260,000 flights a year and add 74 billion pounds ($99 billion) to the British economy over 60 years.

Heathrow is already one of the world's largest airports, but the decision on whether to expand it has been a source of contention, particularly in Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative government.

Even if lawmakers approve the decision, it is likely to be challenged in the courts.

The British Cabinet is expected Tuesday to approve the construction of a third runway at Heathrow Airport, a decision that could pave the way for the long-running issue to be put up for a parliamentary vote.

The economic secretary to the Treasury, John Glen, told the BBC, "we need to expand our capacity and this is the right thing to do."

The location of a new runway in southeastern England has been debated for years amid concerns over pollution, traffic and noise.

The Department for Transportation last year asked the public for comments on the plans to build the runway at Heathrow, arguing the project would permit an additional 260,000 flights a year and add 74 billion pounds ($99 billion) to the British economy over 60 years.

Heathrow is already one of the world's largest airports, but the decision on whether to expand it has been a source of contention, particularly in Prime Minister Theresa May's government.</s>The cabinet has approved the building of a third runway at Heathrow Airport, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling told the Commons.

"The time for action is now," Mr Grayling told MPs 11 years after the original decision to expand the UK's biggest airport.

The Transport Secretary confirmed that 15% of new landing slots would go to routes linking London to regional airports, including in Scotland.

But he admitted that "even with today's announcement, a new runway at Heathrow is still some years away."

Approval presents a political headache for Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, who has previously said he would "lie down in front of bulldozers" to stop the proposed runway.

READ MORE: Scottish airports promised new slots at expanded Heathrow

However, it is understood that Mr Johnson has accepted the need to finally make a decision on a third runway.

Mr Grayling's announcement follows a meeting of the Cabinet's economic sub-committee, which had the final say on the Airports National Policy Statement (NPS). It was then reported to a meeting of the full cabinet.

Following a decision taken shortly after she became Prime Minister, Theresa May has allowed members of the cabinet to speak out against a third runway at Heathrow. However, following the loss of her majority in 2017, there is no margin for error in a vote that will follow on the NPS within 21 sitting days.

The Prime Minister's spokesman said that a decision had also been made by ministers on whipping arrangements, but these were not immediately made clear.

Proponents of building a third runway at the major hub say it is the best option to increase capacity and boost the national economy while being cost-effective.

However, critics warn the plan is "expensive and complex" and bad for the environment - while one group hinted legal action may be taken against the Department for Transport (DfT) over its "dodgy" handling of the process.

Alternative schemes include expanding Gatwick Airport in West Sussex. Any announcement in favour of a third runway is likely to be met with dismay by MPs from across the divide whose constituencies are already affected by Heathrow air traffic.

On Monday, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable, whose Twickenham seat stands to be affected by expansion, branded the scheme "ill-conceived".

Meanwhile Extend the Runway, a group advocating increasing capacity by lengthening the airport's northern runway, said the DfT "lacks both expertise and attention to detail" and had not listened to its proposal.

"People should have zero confidence that the DfT have run a rigorous process on Heathrow's expensive and complex plan," the group said on Twitter.

The No Third Runway Coalition, which counts Sir Vince and Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell among its members, said the DfT's process had been "dodgy and has favoured Heathrow Airport Ltd from the start".

"That will be proven in court, if it comes to it," they added.

The Aviation Environment Federation said it is "extremely unlikely that the Government will have been able to find solutions to key challenges related to the environmental impacts of expansion".

The group said: "The Aviation Strategy, which is being taken forward under a separate process to the Heathrow NPS, will set out how the environmental impacts of aviation nationally should be tackled, but will not be consulted upon until later this year with publication of the final strategy not expected until the middle of next year.

"The decision on Heathrow is set to be taken, therefore, in the absence of any policy on how to tackle aviation's carbon emissions, so with no clarity on whether limits on aviation growth will be needed in order to meet climate change obligations."

READ MORE: SNP back third Heathrow runway as 'best deal for Scotland'</s>Transport Secretary Chris Grayling declared it was a “historic moment” as he announced at the House of Commons today that plans will proceed if air quality obligations are met. 



The proposals for the new runway were approved by the Government’s economic sub-committee, chaired by Prime Minister Theresa May, and approved by her full cabinet. 



Mr Grayling added the decision was deemed in the national interest and will benefit the whole of the country. 



Around 15 per cent of the new landing slots are set to “facilitate regional connectivity”.

What is the Heathrow third runway plan?



The scheme, which will be voted on by MPs on July 11, will be funded privately and could be finished by 2026.



The plans for expanding Heathrow have been debated for nearly 20 years.



The expansion of Heathrow airport in west London was backed by the previous Labour government, who voted in favour of it in 2009.

However, the plan was later scrapped and put off for five years.



The Conservatives have reportedly been divided over the plans, leading to Theresa May needing support from Labour and the SNP for the vote to go ahead. Expansion could prove particularly divisive for Troy Boris Johnson, whose constituency encompasses the area most affected by a third runaway but whose party has voted to press ahead with plans despite residents’ objections. Campaigners against the expansion were concerned about noise pollution and the new runway breaching the UK’s legal air pollution limit due to hundreds of new airplanes taking off and landing every day.

John Stewart, chair of the campaign group Hacan, said communities would "face a tsunami of noise" with a third runway. He added: "This is a bad day - many people under new flight paths will find their lives changed forever.” Where will Heathrow third runway go? The third runway is planned to be built above the other two to the north west of the current Heathrow Airport terminals.

Plans above show the third runway will cut straight across the 12-lane M25 motorway, which will be put in a tunnel. Hundreds of homes in surrounding villages including Longford, Harmondsworth and Sipson could be demolished to make space for the £14bn project. 

 However, residents affected by the scheme will get compensation worth 125 per cent of their value, along with legal fees and stamp duty included - with £2.2billion pot worth of compensation on offer.</s>LONDON (AP) — Britain’s transport secretary announces plans for third runway at Heathrow Airport.</s>A third runway at Heathrow Airport has been given the go-ahead by the Cabinet, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling announced on Tuesday (June 5).

The project was approved at a meeting of ministers on the Cabinet's economic sub-committee.

Mr Grayling told the Commons: "Today I am laying before Parliament our final proposal for an Airports National Policy Statement (NPS) which signals our commitment to securing global connectivity, creating tens of thousands of local jobs and apprenticeships, and boosting our economy for future generations by expanding Heathrow Airport."

He added: "My department has met with local residents and fully understands their strength of feeling but this is a decision taken in the national interest and based on detailed evidence."

The Government set out its support for a third runway in a National Policy Statement (NPS), which will be published now it has been approved by the Cabinet. A vote must then be held in the Commons within 21 sitting days.

The airport still needs to publish detailed expansion plans, which will be subjected to a public consultation and a planning inquiry.

It hopes to receive final planning permission and begin construction in 2021.

Speaking after the announcement, Labour Group Leader Councillor Peter Curling said all political parties across Hillingdon are united in their opposition of the third runway plans.

He said: “It comes as no real surprise to me that this Government has decided to push ahead with Heathrow expansion despite figures within their own party strongly opposing it.

“The political parties across Hillingdon are united in our opposition to a third runway, and we will work together with residents however we can to voice and demonstrate this opposition.

“People’s homes and communities face being destroyed, not to mention increase noise, congestion and pollution in the area. We stand by our commitment to a better Heathrow, not a bigger one.”

Legal action is likely following Cabinet approval, with many residents' and environmental groups opposed to the runway over concerns about noise and emissions.

They are expected to launch a High Court challenge on the grounds that the Government's decision to support the scheme is unlawful.

Speaking out in support of the plans, CBI deputy director-general Josh Hardie said: "It's fantastic that the new runway at Heathrow is getting closer to take-off.

"All the more so as the United Kingdom has waited for nearly half a century for this decision.

"Expanding our aviation capacity, and creating new flight routes to rapidly growing markets, is mission critical to ensuring Britain can compete on the post-Brexit world stage.

"The new air links the runway will create will unlock growth and help create jobs at home, and enable more businesses - especially our many innovative and ambitious small and medium-sized ones - to export their goods and services to booming markets.

"Our aviation capacity is set to run out as early as 2025, so it's crucial we get spades in the ground as soon as possible. From Southampton to the Shetlands, firms in all parts of the UK will be looking to their MPs to approve the national policy statement, giving a timely vote of confidence in Global Britain's future."</s>LONDON (AP) — Britain’s government has given the go-ahead for the construction of a third runway at London’s Heathrow Airport — a decision that paves the way for the long-running issue to be put up for a parliamentary vote.

The Department for Transportation last year asked the public for comments on the plans to build the new runway at Heathrow, arguing the project would permit an additional 260,000 flights a year and add 74 billion pounds ($99 billion) to the British economy over 60 years.

Heathrow is already one of the world’s largest airports, but the decision on whether to expand it has been a source of contention, particularly in Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative government.

Even if lawmakers approve the decision, it is likely to be challenged in the courts.</s>London — British ministers backed plans for a new runway at London’s Heathrow airport on Tuesday, paving the way for a parliamentary vote on the plan after decades of delays, although the project could still face challenges before building starts.

Heathrow is Europe’s busiest airport, but it is now full. In the past, plans to expand the airport have faced opposition from local communities and environmentalists, but the £14bn expansion plan is making progress.

The cabinet had given its blessing to the new runway plan on Tuesday, said Transport Minister Chris Grayling, paving the way for legislators to vote on the issue within 21 days.

The decision comes after almost half a century of indecision on how and where to add new airport capacity in densely populated southeast England and will be the first full-length runway to be built in the London area in 70 years.

"Runway expansion at Heathrow presents a unique opportunity to deliver a multibillion-pound boost to our economy, strengthen our global links and maintain our position as a world leader in aviation," Grayling said.

In an attempt to satisfy opponents of the scheme, he said that the new runway would be delivered within existing air quality obligations and include a 6.5-hour scheduled night flight ban, plus compensation for local residents and a new commission to monitor aviation noise.

An independent commission recommended Heathrow as the site for a new runway in 2015, saying that adding capacity there would bring the country the greatest economic benefits.

The government has based its policy on these findings.

Business leaders and politicians have argued that a bigger Heathrow is even more important since Britain voted to leave the EU in 2016, as the expanded airport will enhance trade links and provide a boost to growth.

Heathrow last came this close to expansion in 2010 but a change in government stopped it proceeding, and the current plan could still face challenges.

Polling by ComRes in May showed that most MPs intended to vote in favour of the runway, which will help the UK catch up with European rivals.

Paris and Frankfurt have four runways, while Amsterdam has six.

Heathrow, owned by Ferrovial, Qatar Investment Authority and China Investment Corporation among others, will have to secure planning permission, with construction slated to start in 2021 and the new runway operational by 2026.

A group of local councils and environmental group Greenpeace could, however, attempt to mount a legal challenge.</s>
• Government approves controversial plans for third runway at Heathrow.
• Transport secretary said Heathrow expansion was the “best option” to ensure the UK remained “one of the world’s best-connected and outward-looking countries” after Brexit.
• The debate over a third runway at Heathrow has continued for over 20 years: Opponents say it will breach air and noise pollution laws, while advocates say it will boost Britain’s economy.

LONDON – The government has approved controversial plans for a third runway at Heathrow.

The government’s economic sub-committee, chaired by Prime Minister Theresa May, presented the plans to her Cabinet, which approved them in full.

Transport secretary Chris Grayling told MPs on Tuesday that “the time for action is now” and described it as a “historic moment,” but added that the expansion was still “a number of years away.”

He said that residents affected by noise and construction would receive a total of £2.6 billion compensation and said the plans would only proceed if they complied with air quality obligations.

“As we leave the EU, the UK must remain one of the world’s best-connected and outward-looking countries and a third runway at Heathrow is the best option to deliver this,” Grayling said.

“We have listened to views through our consultations and will ensure a world-class package of measures to help any local communities affected by the expansion.”

MPs will vote on the expansion plans in the next several weeks.

The debate over the merits of expanding Heathrow has raged for over two decades. The last Labour government backed the idea – and won a Commons vote on the issue – but it was mothballed by the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition that took power in 2010.

Advocates say the expansion is vital to keeping Britain globally competitive, while opponents say a new runway would breach the UK’s air pollution laws and increase London’s noise pollution even further.

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI), which represents 190,000 UK businesses, welcomed the news.

“It’s fantastic that the new runway at Heathrow is getting closer to take-off,” said Josh Hardie, CBI deputy director-general.

“All the more so as the United Kingdom has waited for nearly half a century for this decision.”

Caroline Lucas, co-leader of the Green Party and a long-time opponent of expansion, called the decision “disastrous” and said it “flies in the face of common sense and climate science.”

“The fact that Chris Grayling didn’t even mention climate change in his statement is an absolute disgrace. We know that expansion at Heathrow will make meeting our carbon emission targets near impossible, and that local people will suffer as a result,” she said.
The Cabinet of the United Kingdom approves a controversial third runway at London's Heathrow Airport.