Jeff Mills Coastal Vacations Club Blog

Airline bosses have told the British government that expansion of Heathrow airport is essential. Easyjet and Virgin bosses have told the House of Commons that Heathrow is already full to capacity and that further investment was needed.

Third runway supporters claim that the expansion of Heathrow airport is essential for Britains future economic growth. They have alerted the Government to the fact that Heathrow is now fifth in a league table of airports regarding the number of destinations served, behind Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam and Munich. They say that the third runway is needed in order to ensure that Heathrow retains its status as a primary International hub.

Many well known companies have joined together in support of the third Heathrow runway. These include BT, Tate and Lyle and the drinks group Diageo. The emerging economies and opportunities presented in Africa, Latin Americal and Asia has led to them being united with the CBI employers group and TUC in support of a third runway.

However, scientists involved in climate change research have said that Heathrow expansion must be halted. Some have said that the only practical solution is to curb the demand for air transport. Clearly, this approach would not be good for business growth.

The decision to allow BAA to draw up plans for the controversial third runway was granted in January 2009. But this has been legally challenged by a coalition representing millions of people. The key points of the challenge are:

• That the UK risks breaching noise targets and the EU legal limits on air pollution.
• The decision to allow the development of a third runway at Heathrow will undermine Government’s efforts to meet emission targets that are intended to make a significant contribution to tackling climate change.
• That there should have been further consultation as the final plan adopted by the Government was so different from the original proposals.

The decision to allow BAA to draw up detailed plans for the expansion of Heathrow will now be examined by the courts to assess whether the decision was compatible with their existing legal oblications and policies on climate change and the environment.

It seems inevitable that further conflict will arise between those who insist that expansion is needed for economic growth and those who believe that expansion will be too much for the environment.

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Save money on Heathrow Parking by booking in advance and why not stop at one of the many excellent Heathrow hotels and make the most of your trip.

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