Heathrow expansion plans put back

A decision on Heathrow's controversial plans for a third runway has been pushed back until next year.

An announcement on the expansion plans, which are opposed by the Royal Borough, was expected before Christmas.

But in a written statement to parliament this week, Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon said he would now make an announcement to parliament in January to give "proper consideration" to the evidence.

Reacting to the news,  Royal Borough leader Cllr David Burbage said: “I can only hope that the decision to delay means that the Government is genuinely considering cancelling the third runway and expansion of Heathrow – our campaign against the controversial plans, with others in the 2M Group will continue.”

A spokesman for Heathrow operators BAA said: "Given the complexity of the issues involved, we understand why the Government is taking further time to consider these matters.

"We welcome the fact that the Government has now committed to making a decision in January on how we keep Heathrow and this country globally competitive by maintaining our direct access to the world."