Stansted may be new Heathrow

LONDON will get a second Heathrow under plans for a massive expansion of airports unveiled by the Government today.

Either Stansted in Essex or Cliffe in Kent will become an additional major London hub. Heathrow could also get a third runway, despite claims that its fifth terminal would bring an end to its expansion. But Gatwick will be spared because ministers are to honour a 1979 agreement ruling out its enlargement.

The building programme, much more extensive than anticipated, is needed to cope with a near trebling of passenger numbers expected in the next 30 years.

Ministers will decide next year where the extra runways will be sited. Wherever they go, they will cost billions of pounds and lead to the destruction of homes and countryside. Environmental campaigners vowed to fight the plans every step of the way.

Transport Secretary Alistair Darling told the Commons that failure to expand London's airports would cost jobs, force air fares higher and bring delays for passengers. The Government expects 300m air journeys a year to and from the South-East by 2030, compared with 120m at present.

Even when Heathrow gets its fifth terminal, already approved, capacity across the region will only be around 150m journeys a year. A third runway for Heathrow would bring that up to 230m.

To meet expected demand something more radical is needed. Stansted appears the most likely candidate for expansion. The number of runways there could be expanded from one to four, overtaking Heathrow as the capital's number one airport.

The alternative is to build a brand new, four-runway airport on marshland at Cliffe, on the north Kent coast. But the £11.5bn cost could make it an unattractive option.

Construction of a four-runway airport at either Stansted or Cliffe could bring capacity close to the 300m target without the need for the controversial third runway at Heathrow.

Alternatively, the target could be reached with a new runway at Heathrow and just two extra runways at Stansted.

Mr Darling told MPs: 'Where there is increased airport capacity we need to strike the right balance between benefits from increased travel and trade, and their environmental cost.

'Heathrow is already under pressure. Airlines cannot get the runway slots to operate new services. It is already at its limit. Gatwick's single runway is full for much of the day, and Stansted is rapidly filling up, too.

'In the meantime, in Europe, there have been substantial developments at Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam. All of which want to rival Heathrow. If we do nothing, the UK will lose out.'

Further plans outlined by the Government today include a low cost airport for London on the site of a military airfield at Alconbury, in Cambridgeshire.

Villagers near Heathrow have vowed to fight any plans for a new runway or sixth terminal there, saying it would destroy their communities. 'We are marshalling the troops,' said one protester as hundreds of people packed a meeting last night to voice their opposition. John McDonnell, Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington, said it would mean demolishing up to 4,000 homes and three schools and removing up to 10,000 residents.

Mr McDonnell said the Government was allowing airport operator BAA to 'take the cheap and dirty option of adding runway after runway to existing airports'.

Shares in BAA rose 13p to 473p on the prospect of increased earnings.

The options
Heathrow: Plans for a new 2km runway to the north of the airport, close to West Drayton, were included in the proposals today. It would be shorter than existing runways, and could be used only by smaller aircraft. Its construction would lead to the demolition of 260 homes and nine listed buildings.

Stansted: One, two or three new runways could be built here. The biggest expansion plan would double its size and increase its capacity eightfold. Around 200 homes, 65 listed buildings and two ancient monuments would disappear. Ministers believe there is less opposition than at other sites.

Cliffe: A new airport on Hoo Peninsular in north Kent could boast four runways and outstrip Heathrow by 2030. It would require rail links to the Channel Tunnel line, and a road connection to the M2, making it the most expensive option. Around 1,100 homes, would disappear. The RSPB has warned of its impact on bird life.

The regions
Today's announcement also included proposals affecting regional airports. They included:

A possible new airport between Rugby and Coventry that could replace the existing Birmingham airport.

A possible new airport north of Bristol and a major new terminal at Manchester airport by 2015

A possible runway expansion, including possible new runways at Luton, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham, and East Midlands airports.

Plans for a £2bn new airport near Newport in South Wales were extremely unlikely to go ahead, the report into capacity needs for Wales said.