Boris Johnson should scrap the 3rd Runway as costs increase significantly

The CAA says that Heathrow now needs to spend £2.9 billion developing the concept and acquiring land and buildings before applying for its Decision Consent Order (DCO) to proceed. This is made of so-called Category B costs, related to planning, which have risen from an original £265m, to over £500m; and early Category C costs, relating to acquiring and relocating buildings and community compensation, which have risen from £650m to £2.4bn. These sums will be spent before any new capacity is delivered.

The CAA have also started to use the number £32.5bn, in 2014 prices, for “total masterplan costs” of the Third Runway.

A spokesman for Heathrow Hub, the alternative, cheaper, greener, plan to deliver expansion by extending the existing runway, said: “At last the CAA is starting to focus properly on the huge costs of Heathrow Airport’s own plan. It is an outrageously expensive and disruptive proposal, which involves knocking down 780 houses, BA’s headquarters and the Lakeside Energy from Waste Plant. Their plan also involves trying to build the new runway over the M25 right by the M4 junction and will cause years of jams. As the CAA concedes this will potentially have an important impact on consumers via higher air passenger fees.”

“Instead of prevaricating, Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt should admit the 3rd Runway is in big trouble and go for our cheaper, simpler, greener option instead.”

Link to CAA consultation is HERE