The heads of a number of construction firms have written to the chancellor, calling on him to push ahead with Heathrow’s expansion…
The saga of where to build a new runway to expand Britain’s aviation capacity has reached a new level as building bosses have now called on the government to take decisive action.
A number of large construction firms have stepped into the debate, backing the plans to expand Heathrow, rather than Gatwick. In a letter to the chancellor George Osborne, the firms said the project was needed and would enable the sector to expand and create jobs.
The letter was written by a number of high profile firms, including Laing O’Rourke’s founder Ray O’Rourke; Balfour Beatty’s chief Leo Quinn; Mark Reynolds of Mace; Nick Roberts, chief executive of Atkins UK and Europe; and Stephen Fox, chief executive of BAM Nuttall.
The letter stated: “Projects such as Heathrow expansion allow companies like ours to continue to invest in tens of thousands of skilled jobs this country badly needs and new construction techniques that will benefit developers in the UK.”
Construction bosses explained Heathrow was one of the country’s most important developers, investing some £11bn in the past 10 years. The letter said a third runway would “bring with it a £15.6bn order book to the UK supply chain.”
The issue of expansion at Heathrow is undoubtedly a difficult one for the PM, who previously promised there would be no expansion there. However, it has become increasingly obvious over the course of the debate there is a serious business case for the expansion of Heathrow.
Despite this there are still significant concerns about expansion and the issue has become somewhat divisive among MPs. One of the key worries relates to the impact on the environment and the emissions an extra runway would produce. Currently, more research is being undertaken into this problem.
The letter, however, reminded Osborne of his pledge to the Conservative Party conference in October that “we are the builders”.