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Third runway plans for Heathrow to be published today

Plans for a new third runway at Heathrow Airport are to be published today signalling the beginning of a four-month public consultation on the proposals.

The government will use the national policy statement to outline the conditions the London airport must meet in order to obtain planning consent, and will outline pledges relating to conditions such as emissions, noise pollution and the scaling back of night flights.

Effectively, the statement will commit Heathrow to wide-ranging standards related to the project’s delivery, including noise mitigation in nearby homes and schools, legal limits on noise and measures to limit the amount of vehicles coming to and from the expanded airport.

In a statement Grayling is expected to say: “Aviation expansion is important for the UK both in boosting our economy and jobs and promoting us on the world stage. Leaving the EU is a new chapter for Britain and provides us with a great opportunity to forge a new role in the world.

“We are determined to seize that opportunity and having the right infrastructure in place will allow us to build a more global Britain. By backing the north-west runway at Heathrow airport and publishing our proposals, we are sending a clear signal that when we leave the EU, we are open for business.”

The statement is the first step to putting into action the government’s decision last year to expand Heathrow over its South East rival Gatwick, and will be voted on by MPs before progressing to the next stage.

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