Plans for crucial new rail and tube links to serve Heathrow Airport's proposed Terminal 5 move a step further today.
The Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, Stephen Byers, today granted BAA the necessary powers and planning permission for extensions to the Heathrow Express and the Piccadilly Line to Heathrow Airport. This follows his decision of 20th November 2001 to approve the new terminal with strict conditions.
Stephen Byers said:
“Better public transport links to the airport are essential to help get Britain moving and working - at home and abroad. Importantly, it will help to remove the reliance on car journeys to the airport, which will help to reduce congestion.
"So today I am making the necessary Orders and giving planning approval for the Heathrow Express and Piccadilly Line extensions to the proposed new Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport.
"Heathrow will get the essential rail links it needs to compete successfully in the global market. These new tube and rail extensions will help to continue to make the UK a worldwide economic centre of excellence. These rail links will better serve the whole of the country, the business community and travellers."
Stephen Byers made his announcement today in Parliament. He said, in answer to a written Parliamentary Question from Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough & Whitby):
"When I gave approval on 20th November last to the building of a fifth terminal at Heathrow, I said that I shared the inquiry Inspector’s view on the importance of these two proposed railway extensions to the case for approving the new terminal. I therefore imposed conditions requiring both railway extensions to be provided before the core terminal building is opened. I also said that I was minded to make the necessary Orders under the Transport and Works Act (TWA) authorising the proposed railway extensions, and to grant planning permission for this development.
“I was, however, unable at that stage to grant the necessary approvals for the railway works. This was because I wished to attach planning conditions giving satisfactory control over the railway development, but these conditions had not been discussed at the inquiry. I therefore set out in my November letter the conditions I was minded to impose and invited comments. I have subsequently received comments from interested parties, which have shown a good measure of agreement for the conditions I proposed, and which have helped me to finalise their wording.
“I have therefore now decided to make the TWA Orders and to give planning approval for the Heathrow Express and Piccadilly Line extensions. Copies of both decision letters, which include the full sets of conditions for these works, have been placed in the Library of the House. “
