Prime Minister Cameron to decide on 3rd Heathrow runway

The debate over where to build a new runway in the densely populated southeast of the country has been raging for over 25 years and in 2010 permission was withdrawn to expand Heathrow.

But five years on and following the recommendation of the independent Airports Commission, Cameron is now widely expected to give the green light to a revised 23 billion-pound (35 billion dollar) plan . Before the elections he told voters that Heathrow would not get a third runway under his watch, “no ifs, no buts”. In July the Airports Commission recommended Heathrow’s expansion. Cameron said he would make a final decision before the end of 2015.

But lawmakers both from within his own Conservative party and in the opposition Labour party oppose it. Meanwhile campaign group Plane Stupid, which is opposed to any expansion of air traffic in the UK, has already sought to disrupt Heathrow’s operations in protest against the proposed new runway.