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Heathrow runway move gives hope to Indian community

Posted : October 26, 2016 at 10:54 am IST by ManaTeluguMovies

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The British government has given the nod to the construction of a third runway at Heathrow, putting to an end a long-running and heated battle over which the airport would get the coveted backing to embark on the first new full-length runway in the south-east of England since the Second World War. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said the “momentous” decision would secure jobs and business opportunities for decades to come.

The decision to back Heathrow had been widely expected after a Commission led by Sir Howard Davies concluded over the summer that of the three options it considered, a third runway at Heathrow would add the most to the U.K. economy, giving it an estimated £61 billion boost and adding 77,000 jobs to the local economy by 2030.

Mixed reaction

The Heathrow proposals have split Londoners and the city’s suburban residents, pitting environmental campaigners and those in the leafier, more affluent areas likely to lie in the flight path such as Richmond, against more deprived communities, where there were fears that a choice of Gatwick could have led to a loss of business and jobs.

“We are very excited by the news,” says Harsev Bains, chair of the Southall Community Alliance. “Since the disappearance of manufacturing from west London, the airport has become one of the major employers, and sustains businesses and retail,” he said, pointing to plans for the Heathrow project to include thousands of apprenticeships to upskill young people in the local area, who had limited local options. The economic benefits and other concessions by the Heathrow lobby — including plans to ban night flights, bring in new regulations to limit noise pollution, and a 2.6 billion compensation package for impacted local communities — have swayed some politicians initially reluctant about the development.

Heathrow’s efforts to engage, and listen meant that west London could say “yes to the jobs, apprenticeships and investment that this expansion,” said Southall MP Virendra Sharma on Tuesday.

Sadiq opposes expansion

However, the Heathrow plan continues to have fierce opponents, including London Mayor Sadiq Khan. “Heathrow expansion is the wrong decision. Gatwick would have boosted our economy and been quicker and cheaper to build,” he tweeted. Zac Goldsmith, the MP for the prosperous London Richmond Park constituency who stood against him in the mayoral elections, condemned the “catastrophic” decision.

Along with continued political opposition and potential legal challenges, the Heathrow project will have to contend with parliamentary approval (in 2017 or 18), as well as gaining the necessary private sector financing arrangements (it is not set to have public funding) and planning permission. A public consultation is set to get under way next year.


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