Heathrow expansion plans

May 2010 - Government and BAA decide against Heathrow expansion

On 12 May 2010, plans for the expansion of Heathrow were cancelled by the new coalition government. Then on 24 May 2010, BAA also formally dropped its third runway expansion plans.

These decisions bring to an end all formal proposals for a third runway and a sixth terminal at Heathrow. There are no longer any plans for mixed mode either. However, trials did commence on 1 November 2011, to test the impacts of some operational ‘freedoms’ at Heathrow. The Minister has given a commitment that there will be no increase in the number of flights, which will remain capped at current levels (480,000) and a commitment to retain runway alternation at Heathrow.

The Council will be monitoring the impacts of the Freedom trials and invites you to complete the online survey.

Find out more about the trial here.

January 2009 - Government Decision on Heathrow announced

On 15 January 2009 the Government announced that it was giving BAA the go ahead for a third runway, a sixth terminal and to end the Cranford ‘agreement’ at Heathrow. However, the Transport Secretary also announced that he was abandoning plans to end runway alternation and introduce ‘mixed mode’, which had been of major concern to many residents in the Borough. It still remains necessary for BAA to submit a planning application for the construction of a new runway and terminal. Depending on the timescale for the application, it will probably be made under the new planning regime, governed a ‘National Policy Statement’ on aviation (not drafted yet) and heard by the new Infrastructure Planning Commission.

June 2008 - Response to National Air Traffic Services (NATS) Consultation on flight paths

The Council has sent in a response to NATS, rejecting proposals to move the take-off flight paths from Heathrow. The current flight path heads north towards Ealing, avoiding this borough. The proposed new arrangement is for aircraft to fly close to Whitton, St Margarets, the Deer Park and Kew, before turning north and heading towards Ealing. We have done some calculations and discovered that approximately 19,000 residents in the Borough would experience extra aircraft noise if the NATS plan goes ahead. Our concern is that these residents already suffer landing noise on arrival and would stand to get extra noise from aircraft flying closer on take-off, removing essential respite for them.

A further concern is that changes made to flight paths might be used to enable the expansion of Heathrow. As you will know, Richmond Council is strongly opposed to the expansion of Heathrow, and so regards this flight path proposal from NATS with the gravest of suspicion.

Saturday 31 May 2008 - 'Say NO to Heathrow expansion' rally

The ‘Say NO’ rally took place on Saturday 31 May 2008. It started at Hatton Cross with a procession walking to Sipson where it was joined by others to form the shape of a gigantic ‘NO’. It was estimated that 4000 people took part, many from Richmond borough. It sent a very clear message to the Government that residents from across west London and beyond were strongly against the continuing expansion of Heathrow.

February 2008 - Consultation on Heathrow expansion, 3rd runway etc

The Government consulted concerning the expansion on Heathrow, with proposals for a 3rd runway, a 6th terminal, with ‘mixed mode’ replacing alternation and to lose the Cranford ‘agreement’. The Department for Transport held a number of exhibitions but no public meetings. Their proposals were published in a consultation document 'Adding capacity at Heathrow Airport'.

There were two very well attended public meetings in the Borough, in Richmond and Twickenham. A survey of residents (in February 2008) showed that 89% were in support of the Council’s opposition to the expansion of Heathrow. The Council submitted its response, indicating that Heathrow does not need to expand and should not be allowed to expand, as expansion would be to the detriment of the area.

Please see the Council’s main response to the Department for Transport consultation(pdf, 143KB). An appendix containing all of the Public responses is available upon request to the Special Project Team at specialprojects@richmond.gov.uk.Some background information on the position leading up to the third runway expansion consultation.

2003 white Paper (as updated in Dec 2006 progress Report)

Following a consultation, the Government published its White Paper 'The Future of Air Transport', published on 16 December 2003. It set out a strategic framework for the development of airport capacity in the United Kingdom to 2030, against the wider context of the air transport sector.

It did not itself authorise or preclude any particular development, but set out a policy framework to inform decisions on future planning applications, and against which the relevant public bodies, airport operators and airlines can plan ahead. It sets out the conclusions of the Government, and of the devolved administrations where appropriate, on the case for future expansion at airports across the country. It claimed to balance the growing aspirations we have to travel and the needs of our economy with the need to protect our environment. It claimed to reject a 'predict and provide' approach and instead proposed a comprehensive strategy that:

  • Committed the Government to ensuring that aviation reflects the full costs of its climate change emissions, which will influence the amount of traffic growth that will occur. This is the same approach Sir Nicholas Stern recommended right across the economy;
  • Put in place tough local environmental conditions for our most environmentally sensitive airport, London Heathrow. Further expansion in flights would not be allowed unless limits on noise and air quality could be met;
  • Recognised that aviation brings real benefits to the lives of ordinary people and to business. It connects people and places in ways that many people value highly and is also critical for a successful economy. Since publication of The Future of Air Transport White Paper in 2003, the number of passengers using our airports has risen by 14 per cent
  • Rejected proposals for new capacity at several airports and at new greenfield locations, and instead promoted making much better use of existing airport capacity. The strategy supported the development of regional airports mostly within existing capacity, as well as the construction of a further runway at Stansted and at Heathrow, and measures to make better use of existing runways at those airports.

The Government claimed that it remained committed to the strategy set out in the White Paper: claiming it struck the right balance between economic, social and environmental goals.

1999 the SERAS study

To support the production of the new White Paper, the Government commissioned a wide-ranging programme of studies. One of these was the South East and East of England Regional Air Services Study (SERAS). The objectives of SERAS were to give a better understanding of the demand for, and constraints on, airports and air service development in the South East and East of England over the next years 30 years, and to consider options for sustainable development of airports and air services.

The SERAS study was announced in March 1999, and the consultation on it was in 2002.

1990 RUCATSE

The RUCATSE (Runway Capacity to Serve the South East) study by the Department of Transport, started in 1990 when the CAA advised that another runways worth of capacity would be needed to serve South East demand by around 2005. On 2 February 1995 the then Secretary of State for Transport, Dr Brian Mawhinney, announced that the Government was rejecting RUCATSE options for new runways at Heathrow and Gatwick (the statement was silent on the RUCATSE option for Stansted). Further work was commissioned from the CAA on making more use of existing capacity at Heathrow and from BAA to consider less environmentally damaging options for new runways.

1985 White Paper

The 1985 White Paper on Airports Policy gave a statement of the Government’s airports policy at the time. It was envisaged that the decision relating to expansion at Stansted, together with already approved plans for developing Gatwick (Gatwick North Terminal opened in 1988) and Heathrow (Terminal Four opened in 1986), would lead to the provision of enough capacity within the South East airports system to the mid 1990s. In the event, traffic at Stansted has grown more slowly than envisaged in 1985, despite the recent rapid growth of low cost carriers, but the use of Heathrow has grown to a level well beyond what was envisaged.