Wandsworth Council has joined a group of MPs and campaign groups to call on the Government to bring forward the publication date of the final report of the Airports Commission, headed by Sir Howard Davies.
They have written a joint letter to Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughin asking for the report to be published well before the current target of July 2015.
They are also calling on Sir Howard Davies in his interim report, due by the end of this year, to “lay out very clearly the direction of his thinking.”
Leader of Wandsworth Council Ravi Govindia said: “We support a review of aviation policy but the current times scale is far too long.”
The letter to Patrick McLoughlin says that while the signatories welcome the broad thrust of the Davies Commission they have concerns around the length of time before the Commission makes their final report. They feel such a lengthy period of uncertainty is not at all helpful to businesses seeking to make investment decisions or indeed the wider economy of the UK.
They ask that the final report is published before the next General Election, something many feel the government has precisely designed it not to do.
The signatories – which include MPs Zac Goldsmith, Mary Macleod, Seema Malhotra, John McDonnell and Andy Slaughter; the leaders of Hammersmith & Fulham, Wandsworth, Hounslow and Hillingdon councils, as well as an assortment of anti-Heathrow campaign groups, are mostly known to be opposed to any expansion at Heathrow.
However, proponents of a third or fourth runway at the UK’s present key hub airport will agree with the sentiment on speeding up the review. Business leaders have repeatedly criticised the government for its prevarication and lack of political courage on this issue.
If you’re interested in the future of Heathrow, with or without expansion, come to our debate on March 4 – free to attend for qualifying delegates. Book now!
