New Government cancels Heathrow's third runway plans

[Jason Green]

Morning all,

Well, the title says it all. A good move I think!

BBC News - Heathrow runway plans scrapped by new government

Take care,

Jason

[hedgewych]

A good start, at any rate. :-)

[posie]

Do you think there's any chance they'll close Southampton Airport down completely??

[mrbright]

i belive that the new rail improvements and new direct link railways will have a far more devastating effect on nature than a third runway would have had, well done sipson but watch out the rest of you... you will be next.

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Jason Green

Morning all,

Well, the title says it all. A good move I think!

BBC News - Heathrow runway plans scrapped by new government

Take care,

Jason

excellent - now if they can just cancel the tvg as well

mind you i'm under no ilusions that the cancellation springs from environmental concern - far more likely that if you are commited to saving £6bn cancelling ludicrously expensive projects like that is a no brainer.

[Cordaline]

What a relief! Long may their good decisions continue!

[Paul mabbott]

Originally Posted by Cordaline

What a relief! Long may their good decisions continue!

There was talk a couple of days back of increasing the tax on aviation fuel - has that been forgotten?

[Jaeviatrix]

Unless they are planning to build one somewhere else? I seem to remember the Thames Estuary plan being described as "pie in the sky" but the politicians don't seem to be ruling it out according to a breif scan of BBC news.

Anyone have any thoughts? It could be an absolute disaster, I watch a lot of birds around the estuary, it being my back yard, so to speak.

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by Jaeviatrix

Unless they are planning to build one somewhere else? I seem to remember the Thames Estuary plan being described as "pie in the sky" but the politicians don't seem to be ruling it out according to a breif scan of BBC news. Anyone have any thoughts? It could be an absolute disaster, I watch a lot of birds around the estuary, it being my back yard, so to speak.

Yes, it's way too early for anyone with wildlife concerns to celebrate the Heathrow decision. Whether it is a whole new airport in SE England or the expansion of regional airports elsewhere in the UK, these are inevitable unless the UK Government comes up with a definitive statement on reducing future airtravel growth. All that the Heathrow, Gatwick and Stanstead announcement does is recognise the reality that the global economic downturn has reduced the rate of growth - but not growth, in demand. The planning system means that Regional airports are more easily a target of development, yet these are often adjacet to areas of wildlife importance. In the absence of any policy that reduces plane travel, limiting runway development in the SE will simply see the pressures move elsewhere in a 'squashed baloon' effect.

CM

[zail]

That is good news... Anyone have any idea what their position re the Severn Barrage is?