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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jul/09/heathrow-third-runway-hotel-operator-arora-drafts-cheaper-expansion-plan
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| Heathrow hotel operator drafts £6.7bn cheaper third runway plan | Heathrow hotel operator drafts £6.7bn cheaper third runway plan |
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| A wealthy hotel operator has submitted plans for a third runway at Heathrow which he claims would be £6.7bn cheaper than the airport’s current scheme. | A wealthy hotel operator has submitted plans for a third runway at Heathrow which he claims would be £6.7bn cheaper than the airport’s current scheme. |
| Surinder Arora, founder and chairman of the Arora Group, said there were “cheaper and better ways” to expand Britain’s biggest airport in proposals sent to the government as part of a public consultation. | Surinder Arora, founder and chairman of the Arora Group, said there were “cheaper and better ways” to expand Britain’s biggest airport in proposals sent to the government as part of a public consultation. |
| In a long-awaited and controversial decision announced in October, ministers chose to back expansion at Heathrow rather than at Gatwick airport. It paves the way for hundreds of thousands more flights a year at the west London airport and would bring new neighbourhoods under the flightpath. | In a long-awaited and controversial decision announced in October, ministers chose to back expansion at Heathrow rather than at Gatwick airport. It paves the way for hundreds of thousands more flights a year at the west London airport and would bring new neighbourhoods under the flightpath. |
| Arora said his alternative plans for a third runway and new terminal would involve less disruption to local communities, partly because a smaller amount of land would be required. | Arora said his alternative plans for a third runway and new terminal would involve less disruption to local communities, partly because a smaller amount of land would be required. |
| “We want passengers to be at the heart of our plans and the current monopoly at Heathrow, which over-charges airlines and in turn raises fares for passengers, is not the right model for the future,” Arora said. “Heathrow needs competition and innovation which puts passengers and airlines at the heart of the expansion project. | “We want passengers to be at the heart of our plans and the current monopoly at Heathrow, which over-charges airlines and in turn raises fares for passengers, is not the right model for the future,” Arora said. “Heathrow needs competition and innovation which puts passengers and airlines at the heart of the expansion project. |
| “We are now calling on the government to consider more carefully how competition can improve Heathrow’s offer to passengers, and how airlines at the heart of these plans will benefit passengers. We look forward to working with the new government to discuss these issues and how our proposals can help improve the airport’s expansion.” | “We are now calling on the government to consider more carefully how competition can improve Heathrow’s offer to passengers, and how airlines at the heart of these plans will benefit passengers. We look forward to working with the new government to discuss these issues and how our proposals can help improve the airport’s expansion.” |
| Arora, who has a portfolio of hotels at Heathrow and other locations, suggested the £17.6bn current plan estimate could be cut by moving the planned new runway, which he said would save motorists using the M25 almost a decade of inconvenience. | |
| “One of the options we have proposed to government includes a possible shift of the runway so that it does not impact on the M25 and M4; as we know the M25 junction being affected threatens the deliverability of the whole project. We appreciate this is a politically sensitive issue but it is merely an option with additional savings of £1.5bn, whereas the rest of our proposals save up to £5.2bn without the need to amend the runway location.” | “One of the options we have proposed to government includes a possible shift of the runway so that it does not impact on the M25 and M4; as we know the M25 junction being affected threatens the deliverability of the whole project. We appreciate this is a politically sensitive issue but it is merely an option with additional savings of £1.5bn, whereas the rest of our proposals save up to £5.2bn without the need to amend the runway location.” |
| Other savings would come from changes to the terminal design and taxi way system, which it claimed would allow the same rise in capacity as the current scheme, and scrapping some plans such as expansion of Terminal 2. | Other savings would come from changes to the terminal design and taxi way system, which it claimed would allow the same rise in capacity as the current scheme, and scrapping some plans such as expansion of Terminal 2. |
| Urging the government to consider the revised scheme, Arora, a group worth £258m whose owners – Surinder Arora and family – are new entrants to the 2017 Sunday Times Rich List, said it would also improve parking proposals and reduce the site area by 20%. The plans were created with a team of consultants including the US engineering firm Bechtel. | Urging the government to consider the revised scheme, Arora, a group worth £258m whose owners – Surinder Arora and family – are new entrants to the 2017 Sunday Times Rich List, said it would also improve parking proposals and reduce the site area by 20%. The plans were created with a team of consultants including the US engineering firm Bechtel. |
| Responding to the alternative proposals, a spokesman for Heathrow said: “Heathrow’s expansion proposals are supported by the government and have widespread cross-party political, business and union support. We continue to develop our plans to improve passenger experience, reduce the negative impact on local communities, and lower the cost so we deliver expansion at close to current charges.” | Responding to the alternative proposals, a spokesman for Heathrow said: “Heathrow’s expansion proposals are supported by the government and have widespread cross-party political, business and union support. We continue to develop our plans to improve passenger experience, reduce the negative impact on local communities, and lower the cost so we deliver expansion at close to current charges.” |
| Willie Walsh, chief executive of British Airways owner International Airlines Group, welcomed the intervention. He said: “The government should look closely at Arora’s proposal as it would significantly reduce costs.” | Willie Walsh, chief executive of British Airways owner International Airlines Group, welcomed the intervention. He said: “The government should look closely at Arora’s proposal as it would significantly reduce costs.” |
| An industry insider said that Arora’s proposal for a short runway further towards London sounded similar to a proposal rejected in 2010 because of concerns over noise and the implication for property in local communities. | An industry insider said that Arora’s proposal for a short runway further towards London sounded similar to a proposal rejected in 2010 because of concerns over noise and the implication for property in local communities. |
| The Department for Transport said: “This will not be expansion at any cost but the right scheme at the right price, and we expect industry to work together to drive down construction costs for the benefit of passengers. A consultation on a draft airports national policy statement closed on 25 May and we are currently analysing the responses, and will set out our next steps in due course.” | |
| The transport department has claimed Heathrow expansion would be a major boost for the UK economy and jobs, underlining a commitment to keeping the UK “open for business”. It estimated that a new runway at the airport would bring economic benefits worth up to £61bn, as well as creating up to 77,000 additional local jobs. | The transport department has claimed Heathrow expansion would be a major boost for the UK economy and jobs, underlining a commitment to keeping the UK “open for business”. It estimated that a new runway at the airport would bring economic benefits worth up to £61bn, as well as creating up to 77,000 additional local jobs. |
| As part of the plans, the government said it would propose a six-and-a-half-hour ban on scheduled night flights, and make more stringent night noise restrictions a requirement of any expansion. | As part of the plans, the government said it would propose a six-and-a-half-hour ban on scheduled night flights, and make more stringent night noise restrictions a requirement of any expansion. |