Chancellor indicates support for Heathrow third runway
Chancellor John Healey has expressed that a third runway at Heathrow would contribute to economic growth, supporting the airport’s expansion and diverging from Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s position, reports BritPanorama.
Speaking at the International Monetary Fund summit in Bangkok, Healey noted that airport expansion, particularly at Heathrow, has significantly impacted job creation and economic growth in recent decades.
“The formal position now is that the consultation is closed, led by the Transport Department,” Healey told reporters in Bangkok. “We’re reviewing those, and then further decisions and announcements will follow.”
His predecessor, Rachel Reeves, positioned Heathrow expansion as the cornerstone of her strategy to promote Britain’s business openness. Reeves had reiterated the necessity of a third runway, stating that the government could not “duck the decision any longer.”
However, Burnham has avoided a firm stance in recent months, characterizing the issue of a third runway as “a matter for London and Londoners” last month.
The Department for Transport has indicated it is “considering the appropriate next steps” following the public consultation on its National Policy Statement, which is crucial for evaluating any new runway proposals.
Heathrow’s consortium of owners has stipulated the need for explicit backing from Burnham before the year’s end for the project to move forward.
Thomas Woldbye, Heathrow’s chief executive, stated on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that clarity on the government’s position would be beneficial. He emphasized that a third runway’s benefits would extend beyond London, as “our supply chain reaches all the way from the north all the way to the south of the UK.”
The third runway has been a contentious issue for decades, facing opposition from local residents, political figures, and climate activists. The estimated cost of the project is £33 billion, involving the demolition of numerous homes, river diversions, and rerouting of the M25 motorway through a tunnel.
Originally slated to open by 2035, the runway’s completion has been pushed back by at least four years to 2039, attributed to ongoing planning and regulatory challenges.
