Court supports Heathrow expansion plans
The controversial plans for expanding London's Heathrow Airport got a boost on Wednesday. The Supreme Court overturned the ruling of a court of appeal according to which the construction of a third runway would violate the Paris climate protection agreement. The airport operator is now allowed to apply for the expansion. Commentators are at odds over whether this is a good idea.
We need to be better conneceted
The Daily Telegraph argues that in the light of Brexit, the plans to expand Heathrow are all the more important:
“Heathrow remains committed to expansion, with a spokesman saying that the result would allow 'global Britain to become a reality'. The airport's expansion will enhance the UK's connectivity and create thousands of jobs. With our final ties to the EU about to be severed, an outward-looking endeavour such as this is to be encouraged. Yet the vexed issue of London's aviation capacity has been argued over for so long that it would come as no surprise to find other obstacles placed in its way before the wheels of the first bulldozer eventually get moving.”
Promote decentralisation instead
Britain's airport capacities should be increased in other areas, The Independent says:
“The CCC [the UK's independent advisory committee on tackling climate change] has just advised in its sixth carbon budget, that there should be no net expansion of airports. This consolidated their advice, last year, that were Heathrow to expand, restrictions would need to be applied to regional aviation activity, including the reduction of flights and potentially regional airport closures. This means that expansion of Heathrow in the economically advantaged South East will be at the expense of economic opportunity in the less prosperous regions and therefore a direct assault on the 'levelling up' agenda to which the political class has subscribed.”