T5 Go-Ahead: Transport Secretary Stephen Byers' blessing for Terminal 5 on Tuesday imposed conditions to protect Heathrow's neighbours.
He limited total flights per year to 480,000, up from 460,000 last year. He suggested that would see 90 million passengers using Heathrow, up from 65 million last year.
He also pledged a two-year consultation over stricter controls on night flights. He committed himself to reducing the number of night flights over west London.
He promoted the use of public transport links rather than road links and said that route changes to Heathrow Express and Piccadilly Tube Line must happen before the first phase of Terminal 5 is completed in 2007.
In addition, he allowed only 42,000 car park spaces instead of the 46,000 BAA requested and rejected a proposal to widen the M4 between junctions 3 and 4b.
Mr Byers also said that none of the planning or construction work would go ahead until approval has been given for a scheme to divert the two rivers that run across the site.
November 22, 2001 12:00
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