Healey says Heathrow third runway would drive growth

Chancellor John Healey has argued that a third runway at Heathrow would support jobs and economic growth, as Prime Minister Andy Burnham stopped short of backing the expansion and the government reviews responses to a public consultation.[1]

Speaking at International Monetary Fund meetings in Bangkok, Healey said airport expansion had been “a big part of jobs and growth” in recent decades. He described the case for a third runway as one of growth. Burnham, by contrast, has said the decision is a matter for London and Londoners, and that local people should be heard first.

The government announced its backing for Heathrow expansion last year. The Department for Transport says it is considering next steps after closing its consultation on the National Policy Statement, which would provide the basis for deciding whether to approve a new runway. Healey said the department was reviewing the responses before further decisions and announcements.

Heathrow chief executive Thomas Woldbye has urged the government to clarify its position, saying the runway’s benefits would extend across the country through the airport’s supply chain. The consortium of Heathrow’s owners has said it needs explicit backing from Burnham before the end of the year to proceed.

Heathrow handles more than 80 million passengers a year. Its flight cap could rise from 480,000 to 720,000 annually if a third runway is built. The project is estimated to cost £33bn and would involve demolishing hundreds of homes, diverting rivers and rerouting the M25 through a tunnel. The runway was initially scheduled to open by 2035, but Heathrow has since suggested a four-year delay, to 2039, because of planning and regulatory issues.