The expansion of Heathrow would be an expensive disaster for Britain and the world. Burnham needs to block it | George Monbiot
A third runway would fly in the face of reason. If we are to prioritise human life over short-term ‘growth’, we need to use planes less, not more If a third runway is built at Heathrow, what will be the impact on the wealth of the nation? It will cost us somewhere between £23.4bn and £62.5bn. These are not my figures ; they weren’t calculated by environmental groups, but by the Department for…
A third runway at Heathrow would be a costly mistake for Britain and the global community, according to environmentalist George Monbiot. The expansion would defy common sense, as Monbiot argues that prioritising human life over short-term economic gains requires reducing air travel, not increasing it. If Heathrow were to build a third runway, the cost to the nation would range from £23.4bn to £62.5bn.
These figures come not from environmental organizations, but from the Department for Transport. The government has long claimed that airport expansion is necessary for growth. Rachel Reeves, then chancellor, even suggested that a third runway at Heathrow could add 0.43% to GDP, a claim later found to be based on a report commissioned by the airport itself.
The transport department's own analysis, however, found that the real increase in GDP would be between 0.03% and 0.05%, a mere fraction of the initial estimate. Beyond the financial impact, the social and environmental costs of the project are substantial. It would harm the health and wellbeing of up to 3 million local residents.
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