This Year So Far...
3rd Feb 2025 - The Chancellor announced the Government’s welcome for the 3rd Runway - based on a suspect report commissioned by Heathrow about boosting the UK economy
15th Feb 2025 - John McDonnell MP convened a Public meeting in Harmondsworth
10th Feb 2025 Colne Valley Regional Park’s position
4th Mar 2025 - Nigel Milton, Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) Chief Communications & Sustainability Officer told us about the "Government’s Unexpected Announcement" at a Local Community Forum (LCF) meeting
28th Apr 2025 - HAL’s plans for expansion had been paused in 2020, but they resumed engagement with the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) under the Expansion of Heathrow Airport (Third Runway) Section 51 Advice of the Planning Act 2008.
There's apparently at least one other application to build a runway:-
- https://www.heathrow-reimagined.com/
8th June 2025 - The Telegraph reports “Billionaire takes on Heathrow with plan for cut-price expansion”
26 June 2025 - CISHA had an Open Forum - where Thomas Woldbye (Heathrow CEO) had nothing new to say.
30 June 2025 - Guidance Letter to potential promoters of Heathrow expansion issued by the Government - for proposals to deliver an operational runway by 2035. It said proposals should include expected timelines for:-
statutory consultation
development consent order (DCO) application,
construction timeline
phased release of runway and terminal capacity.
Heathrow Airport is now a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP)
23rd Jul 2025 - Parliament recess
22nd Jul 2025 Sky interview - Who’s Behind These Leaflets?
28th Jul 2025 ITN interview - Third Runway at Heathrow could spark ‘mother of all battles’
29th Jul 2025 Facebook - Colnbrook Residents Association
31st Jul 2025 - Deadline for submitting proposals
4th Sep 2025 John McDonnell MP convened another public meeting in Harmondsworth
The Government will check the applications fully conform to the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS) for a new north-west runway at Heathrow. If not, Government revision of ANPS will probably be required (see below).
Nov-Autumn 2025 - A project may be chosen by Heidi Alexander MP Secretary of State for Transport - HAL say changes to planning laws and regulatory frameworks may be required, to meet the government's ambitious timeline, and only after they have received a response from the Government, will they then consult with the public on their plans for expansion.
Depending who is chosen to progress with the third runway, they will need to apply for a Development Consent Order (DCO). The DCO application will be examined by the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) and ultimately decided by Heidi Alexander MP - Secretary of State for Transport (possibly in 2029?).
Below is further information and comments on the process and the potential timescale.
The No 3rd Runway Coalition has produced helpful notes on the process now underway and its potential timeline:
There doesn’t seem to be anything in the above timeline for protests - but we will be looking on you for help in adding this in!
Looking ahead, if you want to play an active role in the planning process for the third runway at Heathrow, you can register on the Planning Inspectorate webpage to get the following updates as they happen. The planning inspectorate provide a generic timeline for all major projects. This says:-
"When we receive the application, we have 28 days to decide whether to accept it for examination."
- Acceptance - Not started
- Pre-examination - Not started
- Examination - Not started
- Recommendation - Not started
- Decision - Not started
- What happens after the decision is made - Not started
There is a guide with information for people or organisations who want to have their say about a national infrastructure project.
We’ve been here before….
Ex Heathrow CEO, John Holland-Kaye’s 2015 expansion dream
2035 Using pixi-dust, the 1st plane takes off (just like HAL dreamt the third runway would be operational by 2025!)…
Other Information:-
Just 15 days left for Friends of the Earth’s important Crowd-Funding for lawyers to Stop climate-wrecking expansion at Heathrow.
And finally, it looks like anyone can submit a proposal to build a runway in London... but we hope you won’t as we want to Stop Heathrow Expansion - and with your help we’ll succeed.
