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The paperwork for Heathrow’s controversial third runway could take up to four years to complete, according to the British Airports Authority (BAA).
Around £8bn has already been earmarked for the project, which has been trapped in development hell since the early noughties, and continuously besieged by do-good MPs and eco-warriors, chained to bulldozers and plants.
Perhaps even more troublesome, David Cameron’s Conservative Party is determined to flatten the BAA’s endeavour, should they find the polls sympathetic during next year’s general election.
A few more years of limbo could work in the BAA’s favour, however, if the Conservatives fail to secure a second term of office come 2014 or 2015, a third runway application could face little opposition from a new government.
Whether the environmental pressure groups will back off is a different matter altogether, but the No Third Runway Action Group, otherwise known as NoTrag, remains a firm enemy of the BAA echoing Mr. Cameron’s concerns about air and noise pollution.
The runway proposal is quickly becoming a farce, with conflicting arguments arising from both camps. Just last month, the Conservatives announced a glorious victory over the BAA, a victory that has since proven imaginary.
Director at the BAA, Mike Forster, revealed nothing of his company’s plans – “Nobody knows what the new process really looks like.”
Mr. Forster is concerned that deliberation can only pour salt into the economy’s wounds. Government boffins calculate that £1bn is lost for every year that the runway is not built.
Birmingham Airport has offered to help Heathrow with its capacity issues but unless a high-speed rail network is built within the next few years, the plan remains unfeasible. The BAA has also proposed a sixth terminal at Heathrow.
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