Overview
- Chancellor John Healey told MPs on Tuesday that the Government has "given the go-ahead" to build a third runway at Heathrow, ending years of delays over the scheme.
- The Government says the project will boost the economy but the official appraisal cited by critics shows a negative net present value between minus £23.4 billion and minus £62.5 billion.
- Heathrow’s own estimates put construction costs at about £33 billion rising to as much as £49 billion once terminal works and other investment are included, with roughly £1.5 billion needed to move a section of the M25.
- Independent modelling from the Tyndall Centre, commissioned by Friends of the Earth, says aviation already risks breaching the UK’s seventh carbon budget before a third runway is added, which environmental groups and the London mayor highlight as a legal and climate concern.
- A public consultation on the draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement closed on September 1 and next steps include formal planning decisions, potential legal and political challenges, and ongoing calls for an extra affordability test or cost caps to limit risks for passengers and taxpayers.