More than two-thirds of the public think Heathrow expansion will signal Britain is open for business post-Brexit
While questions remain over how the government will address air quality concerns over Heathrow expansion, for now the public backing lies very much with the third runway taking shape.
That's according to a new ComRes poll of 2,003 people – commissioned by Heathrow (who else?) – which has found more than two-thirds of the public think building a third runway at Heathrow demonstrates that Britain remains "open for business" after Brexit.
Some 69 per cent of those surveyed agreed that building the new runway demonstrated Britain remains open for business, while 14 per cent disagreed. Similarly, 64 per cent agreed that expanding Heathrow will help British firms expand to new trading routes across the globe.
Read more: Government to unveil Heathrow third runway national policy statement
Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye said: “An expanded Heathrow will create new routes and trade destinations to deliver the Prime Minister’s vision of a global Britain. The launch of the government’s national policy statement consultation is a key milestone in our plans, and we look forward to working with our local communities, airlines and the government to ensure Heathrow expansion is affordable, sustainable and benefits all of Britain.”
It comes after the government published its draft national policy statement last week, kicked off a 16-week consultation over expanding the congested London airport, and set the conditions for Heathrow to meet. The policies will be put to parliament for a vote in about a year.
There has though, still been vocal opposition to the third runway.
John Stewart, chair of the Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise (HACAN), said while the government argues a new runway is crucial in a post-Brexit world, "the stark fact remains that a third runway will mean almost a quarter of a million extra planes using Heathrow each year".
Stewart said: "That will turn countless lives upside down."
A legal challenge launched by an alliance of councils and Greenpeace UK, was grounded last month, after the court ruled it could not hear the case until the consultation on the national policy statement is published.
Read more: An appeal against the third runway at Heathrow has been delayed
The claimants had argued that the case should be heard before "more time and taxpayers’ money is wasted developing a scheme that will never be able to comply with air quality law". The councils said the decision simply put off the inevitable.
The court can entertain the claimants' challenges once this has occurred.