It will take nine years. At least. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson says it is undeliverable and he is far from alone in predicting that Heathrow's third runway will never be built. One British government backbencher has resigned. London Mayor Sadiq Khan, alarmed by the impact on air quality, says he is exploring legal challenges. Of which there are likely to be many, not least from local councils.
Legal action is also anticipated from the residents of some of the 750 homes that will be subject to compulsory purchase order to facilitate the project. Some £1.5 billion has been set aside to pay compensation at the market rate for the unblighted value of each home and for resettlement costs. Another £1 billion will be paid out for noise insulation in schools and improvements in public facilities.
Yet the decision to kickstart one of three options for the development, after 25 years of government dithering, is a landmark. And putting his best foot forward, British Transport Secretary Chris Grayling promised last week that the £18 billion project, to be funded “entirely” by the private sector, will produce up to 70,000 jobs over the next 14 years and increase GDP by between 0.65 and 0.75 per cent over the period. He insisted that the expansion is vital to Britain’s prosperity.
The project is expected to lead to almost 50 per cent more planes over London, massively increasing the blighted footprint of the airport – supposedly at no extra charge to travellers. The cost of additional public transport facilities and roads to cater for a 50 per cent increase in passengers using Heathrow will also be borne by the developers rather than the taxpayer. If only.
Airlines like Ryanair were quickly out to express their scepticism at the assurances. And environmentalists were equally swift in arguing that massively expanding air travel, specifically encouraging leisure travel, will make it harder than ever to cut emissions to meet the targets set in the newly ratified Paris agreement to reduce carbon emissions by 80 per cent over the next 35 years. Delays can be expected.