Delay to Heathrow Expansion Plans Decision
The government has announced the decision on Heathrow Airport's controversial expansion plans will be delayed until the end of the year.
Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly said further assessments of the views provided in the consultation period earlier this year was required.
A decision had been expected in August, but Kelly said this was now being pushed back until "the end of the year".
She commented: "We want to be sure, given the socio-demographic mix in the Heathrow area, that we fully understand how airport development might affect different groups in terms of race, disability, age or gender".
Heathrow Consultation
Over 70,000 individuals and business were consulted by the Department for Transport during the three-month Heathrow consultation, which ended in February.
As reported extensively by Airport International in recent months, there is a sharp divide between airport operator BAA, airlines and the business community who are all desperate to see Heathrow expanded to include a third runway and sixth terminal, and environmentalists and local residents.
Last month David Cameron, the Conservative leader, questioned the necessity of developing Heathrow, drawing criticism from airline bosses such as British Airways' Willie Walsh and Virgin chairman Sir Richard Branson.
Heathrow Pollution
Meanwhile, a government expert on pollution has been reported as saying that the public have been "misled" during the consultation process over the precise impact of pollution if Heathrow were expanded.
Mike Pilling, who is chair of the government's advisory group on air quality, said "they [ministers] need to go back and do some more calculations" about the possible effects of Heathrow pollution on the surrounding area if expansion went ahead.
Pilling reportedly said that the official predictions were based on "optimistic assumptions" about cleaner aircraft engines in the future.
According to The Times, he said: "Those residents [living near the airport] should say, 'I'm not convinced [about the case for expansion] because you have not looked at all the possible changes that might happen in the future'".
John Stewart from anti-expansion group Hacan said: "The DfT's officical reason [for delaying the announcement] is that it's reading every one of the 70,000 responses to consultation, but we know that's never happened".
Source - Airport International's London Reporter
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