Burnham declines to back Heathrow third runway, says local residents must be heard
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said people living near Heathrow should be heard before he takes a position on plans for a third runway.
London, United Kingdom. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham declined on Sunday to back plans for a third runway at Heathrow, saying the views of people living near London’s main airport should come first.
Expansion proposal
The government led by Burnham’s predecessor, former Prime Minister Keir Starmer, announced last year that it supported Heathrow’s expansion proposal. The project must go through a lengthy planning process before construction can begin.
“I think, principally, it’s a matter for London,” Burnham told the BBC in an interview at the start of the governing Labour Party’s annual conference. “I think you’ve got to hear the voice of people there first. It’s not right for me to just jump straight in on the back of the consultation.”
His refusal to immediately support the plan is the latest development in a debate that has divided politicians for two decades.
Capacity and local concerns
Heathrow said at the weekend that opening the third runway could be delayed by four years, leaving it inoperative until 2039. The airport operates at 99% capacity and risks being overtaken by other European airports. Heathrow has two runways, compared with four each at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt Airport, and six at Amsterdam’s Schiphol.
Heathrow is 15 miles (24 km) west of London. Residents have complained for decades about noise pollution and safety risks from flights over the densely populated city, and more recently about the impact of rising carbon emissions.
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