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A public consultation has been launched over plans to build a £17.6 billion runway at Heathrow Airport.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling confirmed Government plans for a new north-west runway at Heathrow in October 2016. The runway is likely to be optional by 2025.
A draft national policy statement (NPS) has now been unveiled, setting out the planning policy framework which the applicant for a new north-west runway would have to comply with in order to get development consent. t also sets out the need for additional airport capacity in the south-east and the reasons why a north-west runway at Heathrow is the government's preferred scheme.
The draft NPS is open to a 16-week extensive public consultation to gather public opinion. Measures in the document include; providing noise insulation for homes and schools and improvements to public facilities, honouring its commitment of paying home owners 25% above market value rate plus costs for the compulsory purchase of their homes if needed to make way for the new runway and implementing measures to make sure airport related road traffic does not increase, with over half of passengers using public transport to access the airport.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: "Aviation expansion is important for the UK both in boosting our economy and jobs and promoting us on the world stage.
Leaving the EU is a new chapter for Britain and provides us with a great opportunity to forge a new role in the world. We are determined to seize that opportunity and having the right infrastructure in place will allow us to build a more global Britain.
By backing the north-west runway at Heathrow airport and publishing our proposals, we are sending a clear signal that when we leave the EU, we are open for business.
The national policy statement is a big step forward for what is one of the UK's most important, major infrastructure projects. Now we want to hear your views on it. This is an important consultation and I encourage everybody to get involved across the country."
To view the draft Airports NPS, visit here.
(LM)
