UK. In a landmark vote yesterday, the British Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of allowing a third runway to be built at London Heathrow Airport.
Heathrow Airport said, perhaps optimistically, that the vote ends decades of political debate on one of the UK’s most pressing infrastructure issues. However, Greenpeace UK announced immediately that it would join a cross-party group of London councils and the city’s Mayor, Sadiq Khan, in a legal challenge against the decision.
“An expanded Heathrow will make Britain the best connected country in the world and sends the strongest signal to date that Britain is open for business.”
The 415 to 119 vote clears the way for Heathrow to apply for development consent. The airport company said that over the next 12 months alone, it will sign £150 million (US$200 million) worth of contracts with British businesses, creating 900 new jobs and 200 new apprenticeships.
Heathrow is preparing to hold a second public consultation before submitting the consent order application, kick-starting an approval process expected to take 18 months. If the company is granted development consent, construction would begin in 2021 ahead of the new runway opening in 2026.
The vote secured a £14 billion (US$18.6 billion) private investment for the UK – one of the largest private projects in Europe. Heathrow Airport said, “It will transform the country’s only hub airport, stimulating growth and opportunities for communities the length and breadth of the UK. With up to 40 new long-haul trading links, double the cargo capacity, more competition and choice for passengers and new domestic flights – an expanded Heathrow will make Britain the best connected country in the world and sends the strongest signal to date that Britain is open for business.”
Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said: “Parliament has ended 50 years of debate by deciding that Heathrow expansion will go ahead. This vote will see us deliver more jobs, create a lasting legacy of skills for future generations and guarantee expansion is delivered responsibly. We are grateful that MPs have made the right choice for Britain and today we start work to create the best connected hub airport in the world.”
