Government supports Heathrow third runway, Healey says

The government has thrown its weight behind Heathrow s third runway expansion for the first time since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister. John Healey told the Treasury Committee that the Andy Burnham government was behind a third runway at Heathrow and lamented the thicket of regulation preventing it from being approved sooner. Successful airports are very often an engine for economic growth in the wider area that s true in Manchester, it s true in London and elsewhere, he said, adding: I was responsible for the National Planning Act in 2008, and that was designed for the first time to deal with Britain s deep-seated problem of delays in infrastructure projects [ ] but yes it still takes too long. The remarks represent the government s first formal endorsement of £49bn project since Burnham took office in July. The former Manchester mayor has so far ducked several opportunities to back the plan, and instead dismissed it as a decision for London and Londoners . Bu