Blog
Third runway decision a positive move.
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Allan Taylor, Director for The Middlesex Group offices at The Frost Partnership, said “This is great news for the local economy, as well as being such a positive statement for the UK. We have now up-rated our expectations for growth in property sales and rental values over the next 5 years in this area, against a less positive picture emerging from the South East market overall” Increased airport capacity will allow the UK to compete for business and tourism; a lack of capacity has in the past been cited as a constraint on expanding UK business. Heathrow offers the quickest option to build a world class hub airport and already has well developed transport infrastructure in place to support the third runway.
The Independent Transport Commission (ITC) said research demonstrates improvements in aircraft noise and emissions in recent years and that noise and air quality impacts can be further controlled with operational and technological developments. Road traffic is the main contributor to poor air quality locally and Heathrow is taking action to reduce emissions further by switching to electric vehicles and increasing public transport options in the area.
In support of Heathrow’s expansion, Richard Branson said: “Virgin Atlantic has not been able to put on new routes for years. All those extra travellers are going to France, to Germany, to Italy, to Spain and the country is being held back. A new runway will be built at Heathrow. It’s just a matter of when it will be built and which politician will be brave enough to get on and do it.”
There is a long way to go before construction begins with further legal and planning challenges ahead. A public consultation will now be held on the effects of airport expansion before the government makes its final decision as part of a national aviation policy. MPs will then vote on that decision late 2017-18 with any new runway capacity unlikely to be operational before 2025. However, this represents a decisive and positive step in the right direction.
