A business leader in Huddersfield has welcomed the go-ahead for a third runway at Heathrow Airport – but urged ministers not to let it widen the north-south divide.

Proposals to expand an existing runway at Heathrow or build a second runway at Gatwick were rejected in favour of a new runway.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling hailed the “momentous decision” after “years of discussion and delay.”

He claimed it would secure the UK’s place in the global aviation market – “securing jobs and business opportunities for the next decade and beyond.”

Martin Hathaway, chief executive of the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “There is no doubt that successive governments have prevaricated for far too long in making the decision in light of the obvious need for more runway capacity in London and the South East of the UK. It is to be hoped that the final approval process for the new runway will enable construction to begin as soon as possible.”

But he said: “Although many business communities will celebrate Heathrow expansion, this cannot and must not be the only new runway to be built in Britain over the coming decades.

Chris Grayling

“One new runway is not enough to give the UK the aviation capacity which will be necessary to trade the world successfully in the post-Brexit era.

“Airports such as Leeds-Bradford and Manchester as well as Gatwick and Stansted and others with growth aspirations should also get the chance to expand and grow in the future.”

Mr Hathaway said: “Whilst connectivity into an expanded Heathrow is critical to business communities throughout the country, it is equally important that regional airports should be able to expand their own links to overseas business destinations – and this new runway must therefore be viewed as much about connecting the regions to the world as it is about capacity for London and the South East.”

He said: “The government must do all it can to narrow the ‘North-South Divide’ in the UK.

“This development at Heathrow, together with the new Cross Rail 2 railway in London, represents projected expenditure of around £35bn in the South East.

“We strenuously urge the government to ensure that the construction work will be open for bidding from all around the country and certainly from the many businesses in our chamber region, so that there is a more even geographical distribution of public spending around the UK.”

Martin Hathaway, chief executive of the West Yorkshire Enterprise Agency
Martin Hathaway, chief executive of the West Yorkshire Enterprise Agency

Mr Hathaway said: “This latest runway development will not only boost business confidence, it will also help firms throughout the UK to access export opportunities, as well as attracting further investments from both UK and overseas businesses.

“The government in Westminster must not under-estimate the impact that further dithering and delays would have on business confidence. The UK’s national connectivity is far too important to ever again become a victim of political posturing.”

Government officials said that up to 77,000 additional local jobs are expected to be created over the next 14 years at Heathrow, while the airport has committed to creating 5,000 new apprenticeships over the same period.

The Government said it will take “all necessary steps” to ensure enhanced connections within the UK, including “where appropriate, ring-fencing a suitable proportion of new slots for domestic routes.”