The U.K.’s Commons Transport Committee has said that they will support a new runway at Heathrow but would like assurances that a high-speed rail network will be in place to link it with the countries other airports by the time it is finished. MPs also voiced their concerns about the lack of a firm timescale on the completion of the project which is supposed to be somewhere around the year 2019. The committee also said that they were not convinced that there was a strong enough case in favour of building another runway at Stansted preferring to look at the possibility of expanding Gatwick instead. They went on to point out that it was unlikely that a new runway at Stansted could be completed by 2019, the year in which restrictions on further development at Gatwick are due to be lifted.

Although the government has approved another runway at Heathrow those living close to the airport as well as environmental campaigners have voiced their concerns. Ed Miliband, the Climate Change secretary has said that the plans will not affect the government’s targets for reducing carbon emissions.

Louise Ellman, who chairs the committee, said that although Heathrow was a major European hub only six cities in the U.K. had flights going into the airport. She said that in order to take full advantage of financial benefits from Heathrow as well as cut back on the airport’s impact on the environment better links with the rest of the country would have to be developed.