Source: Heathrow Airports Limited
Reports suggest that UK chancellor Rachel Reeves could back plans for the expansion of Heathrow Airport to help fuel economic growth.
Several national newspapers report that Reeves could give the go-ahead to plans to build a third runway at the west London Airport as well as supporting a second runway at Gatwick and expansion at Luton.
Confirmation of the expansion plans is expected in the coming weeks as part of a swathe of announcements intended to drive economic growth.
Gatwick is hoping to bring its emergency runway into regular use while Luton wants to add a new terminal.
A decision on Gatwick’s plans is due by 27 February and Luton’s on 3 April.
However, the plans will face strong opposition from within the ruling Labour Party.
London’s Labour mayor Sadiq Kahn and the energy secretary Ed Miliband are thought to be against the plans. Miliband is responsible for ensuring the country remains within its carbon target as it seeks to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
Many backbenchers are also likely to oppose the plans on emissions and noise grounds.
The expansion was initially approved in 2018 but the UK has since committed to net zero emissions by 2050 and on December 4 2020 it pledged to cut carbon emissions by 68%, from what they were in 1990, by 2030.
The airport can seek a development consent order (DCO), a type of planning permission for nationally significant infrastructure, but has yet to do so.
And gaining the DCO may be difficult, as it will take into consideration stricter pledges to cut emissions made recently by the UK government.
Heathrow Airport is reportedly considering developing new plans for the extra runway which would not involve extensive work to lower the M25. An announcement on the new plan is expected later this year.
