On 4 March 2025 the Heathrow Airport Local Communities Forum gave an update on the development of the airport. This post is an information report on what the company presented on their development and expansion plans.
The briefing explained the three phases in the development of the airport.
Phase one – currently ongoing – is improvement to baggage and security scanners in the terminals.
Phase two, announced in February 2025, is the modernisation of the airport which is planned to take place over the next 5-10 years. The works will wholly take place within the perimeter of the airport: increase in capacity at terminals 2 and 5, demolition of Terminal 1, and possibly terminal 3, (but no further development at terminal 4). The cargo facilities will also be expanded. The plans require air regulator approval and are planned to commence in 2027. It was confirmed that a request from SMRA for an AVA – car park for private hire cars using the airport – near terminals 4 and 5, are being considered as part of the plans but detail is needed to see where the location would be.
Due to the Chancellor announcement on the infrastructure developments at London airports the Airport has had to bring forward phase three: third runway. The expansion of the airport with a third runway and potentially more terminal development would be wholly privately funded. It requires shareholder, airline and government backing – the latter was given by Rachel Reeves in January 2025.
The government announcement in January 2025 invites proposals for Heathrow expansion. As well as Heathrow Airport there is a consortium called “Reimagining Heathrow” which includes Arora and some airlines, which is also likely to also make a proposal. Proposals are required to be submitted to the government by Summer 2025. Following a review of the proposals a decision will be made with the “ambition” to secure planning permission by the end of the current parliament (2029). The government has also stated its “ambition” to see the first aeroplane take off from the third runway by the end of the next parliament (2034). Heathrow Airport have stated there needs to be significant changes to planning regulations and the law to make this second ambition realistic.
Due to the requirement in the future that 55% of all visits to the airport should be by public transport Heathrow Airport regard the inclusion of both the Southern and Western airport rail links as important to achieve this target.
The Airport National Policy Statement will scrutinise planning applications for a third runway to ensure they are aligned to the statement. The original scheme, that was stopped by the pandemic, met this Statement.
Right now communities are blighted by the uncertainty of the current situation including competing proposals, and timescales involved. As the current situation has no legal status there is unlikely to be any further clarity until the proposals are submitted and the Government has made decisions on the next step. After that there needs to be changes to the planning , regulation and airspace processes before the timescale is realistically achievable. Formal consultation with communities will take place when the process reaches the Development Consent Order stage.