SEGRO has made a submission to the Davies Commission based on the results of a poll of its tenants which showed huge support for expanding the airport.
SEGRO, who own £1.2bn of assets around Heathrow, polled 77 businesses occupying those assets who between them employ 18,000 people. More than 80% of the companies said they backed an expansion of Heathrow and a third said that a lack of capacity at the airport was hampering their growth.
Half said they would relocate if Britain’s hub airport was moved outside West London. SEGRO say some might leave the UK altogether because of the length of time it may take to first take the decision, and then to build whatever is decided – if indeed a future Government decides to accept the recommendations of the Davies Commission.
David Sleath, SEGRO Chief Executive, told the Daily Telegraph: “Expanding Heathrow is the quickest and most financially viable option for delivering new airport capacity in the UK. From speaking with these companies it is clear that they back expansion to support their growth plans. The uncertainty surrounding Heathrow is not good for businesses and could affect long term investment decisions in the UK.”
