Heathrow Airport will create a third runway by 2026 and complete its expansion by 2050 according to the “masterplan” which has just been published.
The plans include diverting rivers, moving roads and rerouting the M25 through a tunnel under the new runway. Heathrow have said the plans will have low emissions zones and congestion charges to lower air pollution – there will be more than 700 extra planes in the sky after 2026.
Heathrow will minimise the effect of expansion with plans including property compensation, noise insulation funding and a 6.5 hour ban on scheduled night flights.
Emma Gilthorpe, the executive director for Expansion, said: “Expansion must not come at any cost. That is why we have been working with partners at the airport, in local communities and in government to ensure our plans show how we can grow sustainably and responsibly – with environmental considerations at the heart of expansion.”
Over the next 12 weeks people will be able to share how they feel about the plan of the airport and any issues they may have. Many campaign groups have had their say on the plans.
“Heathrow’s plans are laughable,” said Robert Barnstone, campaign co-ordinator of Stop Heathrow Expansion.
Heathrow have committed not to have any more cars using the airport with expansion and the airport will be merging existing spaces including car parks where the new runway will go.
Robert Barnstone said: “Not only does it want to disrupt people’s lives for up to 30 years while building this new runway but now proposes jumbo-size car parks while pledging to reduce the number of people using cars at the airport.
“The new prime minister, whoever that may be, will have to face up to the fact that Heathrow expansion cannot meet legal environmental requirements and will therefore not be able to proceed in the long term.”
Heathrow’s third runway plans won the support of Parliament last year and survived several challenged in the High Court. The airport also has plans to carry out work on terminals 2 and 5. The total private investment in the airport for the next two decades is set to be in the region of £30 billion.
