Plans to expand Heathrow Airport have been thrown into doubt after Andy Burnham reportedly told Labour MPs he always opposed the project. The Prime Minister reportedly said he had "never been in favour" of building a third runway at the largest airport in the UK.
The plans include building a 3,500-metre northwest runway at a cost of between £33bn and £49bn. The project requires rerouting a stretch of the M25 through a tunnel beneath the runway, as well as the construction of a new terminal complex and upgraded cargo facilities.
Burnham's opposition revealed
Despite Chancellor John Healey recently telling the Commons that the Labour Government supports the project, it has now been revealed that Burnham remains opposed to the plans. A Labour MP told the Financial Times: "He [Andy Burnham] said he's never been in favour of Heathrow expansion, but he's not indicated one way or another what he will do now."
"He's indicated that in the past he has never supported Heathrow's expansion... I get the impression that he's now waiting for a report into the third runway by the Transport Committee before saying more on this."
Previous statements and opposition
It comes after Burnham previously said in 2018: "I'm against a third runway at Heathrow because of the need to limit national levels of aviation. We should use spare capacity at Manchester and Birmingham instead."
Although plans to expand the airport, which handles tens of millions of passengers every year, have been opposed by climate experts and London Mayor Sadiq Khan, Heathrow insists it will create more jobs and make travel more affordable.
Government timeline and consultation
The government said that the project is moving forward under a revised timeline. The Department for Transport (DfT) launched a major public consultation on the newly drafted Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement (HENPS) in June.
The consultation outlines how future planning decisions will handle noise, air quality, and carbon limits. It closed on September 1 and the government is now reviewing the feedback to lock down policy framework by the end of the year.
Healey told MPs earlier this month: "After years of delay, years of indecision, years of often vexatious challenge, we have given the go-ahead to this project quite simply because the economic case stacks up and will help bring growth."
