Rachel Gives A Thumbs Up To The Third Runway

Gatwick Airport has two runways, but due to their close proximity only one can be used at a time…

Noise pollution too.

"According to recent reports, on average, more than a third of all arriving planes at Heathrow, which translates to around 232 aircraft per day, are held in "stacks" above London where they circle while waiting to land, spending an average of 6.85 minutes in a holding pattern before descending to the runway.
(google)

I think (hope) you’re right Casdon.
It’s no use complaining about more planes when there isn’t enough runway to land the planes that we already have. It’s very polluting for planes to be circling round and round above the airport simply because there’s no runway availability for them to land.

Yes Barleyfields, but it won’t be delayed by court proceedings, and of course it’s not a new plan, a lot of the preparation work has been done because it was going to happen under the Tory government too. I don’t think I’m being overly optimistic, I think work will start on elements within a couple of years.

You are very optimistic Casdon. Homes and businesses will have to be compulsorily purchased and the complexities are such that it will be years before a start is made. See above re effect on the M25 for starters.

Heathrow won’t take years before it starts I don’t think, it’s already been to the Supreme Court.

Third runways will take decades to be built given activism, Court cases, etc. Maybe those being born this year will benefit from such infrastructure projects adding to growth but I doubt I shall see any benefit and will probably experience some disruption from the works.

Yes, I lived and worked in the area for many years and she seems to be presenting as new something which has been developing for years. It’s something in which Oxford and Cambridge universities and their spin-offs excel and I find it distasteful that Reeves is presenting it as a Labour initiative. It’s anything but, and the rail link would be in place now were it not for the huge expense of coping with covid. Meanwhile, the universities and the R&D companies, some of which have been going for decades, have been very successfully getting on with things.

Barleyfields yes you are correct. The Oxford Cambridge Silicon Valley is not anything new ….. I was a bit misled by Rachel yet again today. She was presenting this as the next great economic opportunity….. funny lady.

Barleyfields I agree, I was referring only to the financial cost.

For me, I like to see some innovative ways to mitigate ie trees, cleaner fuels, something magical invention I’ve never heard of??!

Human cost and the cost to our planet should always be a consideration.

Barleyfields

There are supposed to be improvements to Luton airport. Given the climate damage caused by flying, why is any expansion under consideration?

Because changing technology means aircraft will not always be polluting. Look at what Brittany Ferries have done to reduce the pollution from their fleet.

We can’t have the penny and the bun, it’s as simple as that. If we want economic growth we have to provide the infrastructure to enable growth to happen. Every new piece of the infrastructure jigsaw comes with downsides. I don’t like there being a need to build more runways, but I do understand it.

ronib

I am intrigued by the idea of our very own Silicon Valley. In theory, it sounds amazing and there are quite a few startups already here so if it works that is the future ….. and air travel connectivity will be important I guess for people like Elon Musk etc. Bring it on??

This isn’t anything new.

Cossy

I too am on the fence.

In terms of costs? Won’t the bulk of it be met by Heathrow themselves?

www.heathrow.com/company/about-heathrow

What about the human cost?

I too am on the fence.

In terms of costs? Won’t the bulk of it be met by Heathrow themselves?

www.heathrow.com/company/about-heathrow

ronib

I am intrigued by the idea of our very own Silicon Valley. In theory, it sounds amazing and there are quite a few startups already here so if it works that is the future ….. and air travel connectivity will be important I guess for people like Elon Musk etc. Bring it on??

The M4 corridor is currently the UK’s technical hub

I am intrigued by the idea of our very own Silicon Valley. In theory, it sounds amazing and there are quite a few startups already here so if it works that is the future ….. and air travel connectivity will be important I guess for people like Elon Musk etc. Bring it on??

ronib

Can anyone explain why Heathrow is the preferred option for expansion and not Stansted? The new Oxford Cambridge world beating? What was it again? Well surely an airport nearer this world busting enterprise will be more useful than expanding Heathrow? Or will just the Oxford end require air transport?

There have been rumblings regards a second runway at Stanstead ever since I can remember.

It is currently inline for a £1.1 billion upgrade, this was confirmed in October 2024. Construction is due to start this year.

On completion it will be the UK’s second biggest airport (behind Heathrow but in front of Gatwick)

I think we probably need it, but it's going to cause all sorts of trouble.
Hey-ho!

There are supposed to be improvements to Luton airport. Given the climate damage caused by flying, why is any expansion under consideration?

Is Rachel no longer a thief? Is Rachel from accounts going to be more accountable.

Can anyone explain why Heathrow is the preferred option for expansion and not Stansted? The new Oxford Cambridge world beating? What was it again? Well surely an airport nearer this world busting enterprise will be more useful than expanding Heathrow? Or will just the Oxford end require air transport?

Reeves could help business today by reversing some of her Budget decisions and getting some of the proposed new employment rights stopped. Businesses and her fabled working people need help today, not a promise of some big schemes years ahead. The only proposals that I am supportive of are the Oxford-Cambridge rail link, which the cost of covid put on ice, and proposed improvements to rail links between other towns. Those are realistic targets bringing tangible benefits. A third runway at Heathrow will cause misery for thousands if not millions of people.

Apparently scientists say the Doomsday clock has moved one second closer to midnight. It started in 1947, 77 years ago, at 7 minutes to midnight. Now there are 89 seconds to go.
We should be discouraging flying not wanting more planes in.the air.
We can see what is happening with flooding, fires and more severe weather than ever before.
No point having growth if the earth is dying.

I suppose because it's always a balance between business/growth and environment? I don't feel qualified to judge, but I do understand that's the task ahead.