Engineers and business leaders have expressed frustration at the Government’s deferral of a decision on extra runway capacity for south east England.
A Government decision in favour of Heathrow’s third runway was widely expected after the Airports Commission, which was chaired by Sir Howard Davies and established by the coalition Government, recommended it.
However, transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said more work was needed on the potential environmental impacts.
‘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,’ he said.
Goldsmith confident this could spell the end for Heathrow expansion
The delay means that no decision will be taken before May, when Heathrow expansion opponent Zac Goldsmith will attempt to become the next Conservative mayor of London.
In the wake of today’s decision, the Tory candidate told the Evening Standard it could spell a killer blow for Heathrow expansion.
‘We know that it is impossible to reconcile Heathrow expansion with the legal requirements on air pollution. I don’t think there is any way round it. The logical conclusion of the decision they have made is that Heathrow is off the radar. We have a massive opportunity now to remove the threat of Heathrow expansion once and for all.’
Labour mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan, accused the Government of kicking the decision into the long grass to avoid embarrassing Mr Goldsmith, who has threatened to trigger a by-election by stepping down from his Richmond Park Commons seat if the Government opted for Heathrow.
Mr Khan added: ‘Gatwick stands ready to deliver it sooner, at a lower public expense and without the damaging impact of Heathrow expansion. We already know Heathrow can’t be the solution. The additional damage from air and noise pollution would mean more years of delay, while protracted legal battles are fought. It must be Gatwick – and we need to get on with it.'
Top business lobby, the CBI did indeed express ‘deep disappointment’ at the delay. Carolyn Fairbairn, CBI director-general said: ‘By 2025 - the earliest a new runway would be built - London’s airports could already be operating at full capacity and the longer we wait the further we fall behind the likes of Amsterdam and Paris. If we don’t have a new runway up and running by 2030 the cost to the UK will be as much as £5.3bn a year in lost trade to the BRICs alone.
‘It is of course essential that environmental conditions are met. But the Airports Commission spent three years analysing impartial evidence, at a cost of £20m, and the National Infrastructure Commission was set up just two months ago to take an evidence-based approach to our needs. We cannot fall into the habit of simply commissioning new evidence, instead of the Government taking the tough decisions needed at the end of the process.’
Richard Robinson, chief executive - civil infrastructure, Europe, Middle East, India and Africa - at infrastructure firm AECOM, said that 'without the ability to better connect to growing economies, the UK’s own growth could be constrained for generations to come' and called on the government to stop 'dithering'.
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) agreed that Heathrow should produce a package of environmental mitigation measures, but this did not warrant a delay to the Government’s decision.
ICE director general Nick Baveystock said: ‘What was needed was a bold, strategic decision on the country’s future hub capacity. Disappointingly we now face yet more delay and uncertainty.’
Simon Walker, of the Institute of Directors, said business leaders would be ‘tearing their hair out’ at the news. ‘We have to ask now, what was the point of the Commission if the Government still fails to act?’
The Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise said many of the problems associated with the third runway would not go away, however long the Government procrastinated.
Stephen Joseph, chief executive of the Campaign for Better Transport said: ‘While the Government is right to consider properly the impact of airport expansion on pollution and the environment, we are disappointed that it has accepted the case in principle for a new runway without looking at alternatives, including a frequent flyer levy that would avoid the need for expansion at all.’
Lilian Greenwood MP, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary said: ‘David Cameron has broken his clear promise to make a decision before the end of the year.’
