London Airports: Infrastructure

(asked on 25th September 2019) - View Source

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the most recent estimate is of the forecasted cost to the taxpayer of surface infrastructure to (a) an expanded Heathrow with the proposed north-west runway and (b) an expanded Gatwick with a second runway by 2050.


Answered by
Paul Maynard Portrait
Paul Maynard
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
This question was answered on 1st October 2019

On 25 October 2016 the Government announced that a Northwest Runway at Heathrow Airport, combined with a significant package of supporting measures, was its preferred scheme to deliver additional airport capacity in the South East of England. Parliament approved the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS) in June 2018, which set out that for expansion of Heathrow Airport, responsibility for improving surface access sits with the applicant.

The independent Airports Commission considered the potential surface access implications of three expansion schemes. Its final report was published in July 2015 and estimated the potential cost of surface access in relation to the scheme which had been proposed by Gatwick airport at £0.8bn.

The Government published its Aviation Strategy 2050 consultation document in December 2018. Among other things, the document makes the case that airports are ‘unique’ multi-modal transport hubs, and should be recognised and treated as such. As the document sets out, the Government believes that the provision and funding of surface access infrastructure and services to airports is primarily the responsibility of the airport operator. But where there are significant non-airport public user benefits from changes and enhancements to the infrastructure and services, the Government has made clear it would consider making a funding contribution to reflect these.

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