Heathrow's third runway put on hold

The controversial third runway construction at Heathrow has been put on hold by BAA.

It is understood the project will be delayed until at least after the election next year. The Conservatives have always hinted that they would not support the scheme if they ever came into power.

A BAA spokesperson said: “We remain convinced that a third runway is the only viable, costed and thought through way of meeting the need for extra runway capacity to maintain this country’s global connections to the rest of the world, particularly in an era where long haul links to markets such as China and India are increasingly important.

“The process of putting in a planning application is complex, particularly given the new planning structure put in place as recently as 1 October. The process was always going to take until after the general election. We continue to work on the application and will take as long as is necessary to prepare a proper submission.”