British govt gives go-ahead to Heathrow airport expansion

LONDON, June 06 (AFP): Britain's government on Tuesday gave the go-ahead to building a third runway at London Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport, a long-awaited decision that has stoked decades of division and debate.
"The time for action is now," Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said after cabinet ministers approved the move, which will be put to a vote in parliament in the coming weeks.
The expansion project is highly contested, mainly over environmental and noise level concerns for a large, heavily-populated area of west London around Heathrow.
"We've considered these issues very carefully," Grayling told MPs, but said it would bring huge economic benefits, particularly as Britain prepared to leave the European Union.
"Despite being the busiest two-runway airport in the world, Heathrow's capacity constraints means that it is falling behind its global competitors, impacting the UK's economy and global trading opportunities," he said.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who represents a nearby constituency, has previously opposed the plan, once pledging to lie in front of bulldozers to stop construction.
He was among several MPs in Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative party who have strong objections.
However Downing Street said MPs would be expected to support the project in a House of Commons vote expected by July 11.
The main opposition Labour party took a cautious approach, saying it would assess the environmental impact and whether the plan supported growth across Britain.