Chancellor backs Heathrow third runway plan
Rachel Reeves says the west London airport's expansion is "badly needed"
Last updated 29th Jan 2025
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has given her support for a third runway at Heathrow Airport.
In a speech in Oxfordshire on growth, she said the west London airport's expansion is "badly needed" because "for decades its growth has been constrained".
Heathrow's plan to build a third runway received parliamentary approval in June 2018, but has been delayed by legal challenges and the coronavirus pandemic.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said that "by backing a third runway at Heathrow we can make Britain the world's best connected place to do business".
"That is what it takes to make decisions in the national interest and that is what I mean by going further and faster to kickstart economic growth," she added.
Later, responding to questions from journalists, Ms Reeves said projects such as backing the third runway "shows that this is a Government with ambition that is getting on and delivering".
She added: "One of the reasons why we need to expand Heathrow is that there are emerging markets and new cities around the world that we aren't connected to because there aren't the slots at Heathrow - or indeed any other airport - to fly to."
The airport needs to secure approval for a Development Consent Order to go ahead with the project.
Chief executive Thomas Woldbye said he would not continue developing the scheme without the Government confirming it wants expansion.
The scheme would involve around seven years of construction to produce a third runway and a new terminal.
It would also require more than 700 houses to be demolished and the M25 motorway to be moved into a tunnel.
Opposition
Environmental groups have expressed major concerns over the impact of airport expansion on climate change.
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: "The Mayor has a long-standing opposition to airport expansion around London – linked to the negative impact on air quality, noise and London’s ability to reach net-zero by 2030.”
“I will scrutinise carefully any new proposals that now come forward from Heathrow, including the impact it will have on people living in the area and the huge knock-on effects for our transport infrastructure.
“Despite the progress that's been made in the aviation sector to make it more sustainable, I’m simply not convinced that you can have hundreds of thousands of additional flights at Heathrow every year without a hugely damaging impact on our environment.”