London Heathrow Airport has announced that the 12-week consultation over its third-runway expansion plans will open to the public on June 18, 2019.
To mark the occasion, the airport has released a series of new images illustrating the new terminal infrastructure, as well as a panoramic shot of a future Heathrow.
This step is the latest delivery milestone for the project, with the responses being considered as part of the final planning application.
Heathrow has invested in new technology to show the public its current proposals, including a model of the future airport that uses augmented reality, and a sound booth to be used at certain locations featuring virtual reality to demonstrate the effect of noise insulation on properties overflown by aircraft.
The upcoming consultation will seek feedback on four key areas, namely, Heathrow’s preferred masterplan for expansion; plans to operate the future airport; the assessment of the impact of the airport’s growth; and plans to manage the impacts of expansion.
Emma Gilthorpe, Heathrow’s executive director for expansion, said, “Heathrow’s expansion is a project of huge national and local significance, and it is critical to our country’s economic growth. An expanded hub airport will allow the country to access more of the world, create thousands of jobs locally and nationally and it will open up new trading routes.
“But we can’t deliver these plans alone. We urge everyone to have their say in this consultation, to shape our plans, and to help us deliver expansion in the fairest and most sustainable way.”
Following the conclusion of this consultation and after feedback has been incorporated, Heathrow will submit a final proposal to the Planning Inspectorate in 2020, kickstarting the approvals process. The decision on whether to grant the Development Consent Order will be made by the Secretary of State following a public examination period led by the Planning Inspectorate. 
