Stephen Glover writes an opinion piece criticizing Britain's inability to efficiently complete large infrastructure projects, using the delay in building a third runway at Heathrow Airport as an example. Originally discussed in 1946, the project now faces further delays until 2039, almost a century later. In contrast, China completed the Beijing Daxing International Airport in less than five years. Glover highlights opposition from various groups and argues that government impotence and excessive bureaucracy contribute to these failures.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-28,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Why is this country so utterly hopeless at carrying off large new projects within a reasonable timescale?
asserted
country → carry → timescale
Over the weekend we learnt that Heathrow Airport’s third runway will be delayed another four years.
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runway → learn → weekend
It is now supposed finally to be in service in 2039.
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It → suppose → 2039
That will be almost a hundred years since the project was first discussed.
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project → discuss → ?
In 1946 the airport’s original development plan envisaged six runways, followed by a further three.
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plan → envisage → three
My fear is that even the new 2039 deadline won’t be met.
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deadline → meet → ?
The scheme faces formidable opposition from local groups, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, the Greens, and the Climate Change Committee, to name but a few.
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scheme → face → few
Lawyers are queuing up to throw spanners in the works.
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Lawyers → queue → works
What is interesting is the way the news emerged.
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news → emerge → ?
You might suppose it was the Government that made the decision, but no.
uncertain
that → suppose → decision
It was in fact the people running the airport (which is owned by a consortium of international investors) who informed ministers that a third runway is going to take longer.
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runway → run → ministers
Cowering
Last year Rachel Reeves of unblessed memory told us the third runway would be completed by 2035, which is not exactly speedy.
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which → tell → 2035
Now her announcement is being countermanded by the panjandrums of Heathrow
Airport.
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announcement → countermand → Airport
Nothing could better illustrate the impotence of the Government.
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Nothing → illustrate → Government
In China it took less than five years to build the massive Beijing Daxing International Airport.
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it → take → Airport
That is only a few more months than the latest – but I’m sure not the last – period of postponement for limited though crucial improvements at Britain’s largest and very congested airport.
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I → ’m → airport
In China it took less than five years to build the massive Beijing Daxing International Airport
Stephen Glover says his fear is that even the new 2039 deadline won’t be met as the scheme faces formidable opposition from local groups
Our ministers no longer oversee huge infrastructure projects.
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ministers → take → projects
They have ceded power to private companies and legions of consultants who lavish billions of public money with little accountability, and usually end up spending two or three times as much as was originally envisaged.
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who → cede → much
Successive governments have also created a multitude of costly quangos that answer to no one but themselves while making arbitrary decisions which often lead to the squandering of taxpayers’ money.
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which → create → money
In the case of Heathrow, the Climate Change Committee has just ruled that a third runway is not ‘currently compatible’ with reaching net zero by 2050.
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runway → rule → 2050
The country’s economic wellbeing must be sacrificed to an abstract principle.
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wellbeing → sacrifice → principle
It doesn’t matter to the obscure figures who make up the Climate Change Committee that Britain accounts for less than one per cent of global greenhouse emissions while China – which has built more than 120 major airports in the past 20 years – is responsible for about 35 times as many emissions.
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which → matter → emissions
Cowering on the sidelines, Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander maintains that another runway at Heathrow would be compatible with net zero, but she is unlikely to have the last word.
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she → cower → word
The Climate Change Committee and the Greens are calling the tune.
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Committee → call → tune
Will a third runway ever be built?
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runway → build → ?
I wouldn’t bet on it.
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I → bet → it
Heathrow, which handles more than 25 per cent of all UK trade by value, will continue to be constrained, and the economy will suffer.
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economy → handle → value
At the very least, expansion is going to take an inordinately long time.
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expansion → go → time
The Labour Government could cut through the red tape if it so wished.
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it → cut → tape
It could amend the net zero legislation that empowers the Climate Change Committee, and it could put a rocket under the Heathrow management and the airport’s owners.
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it → amend → management
It doesn’t have to be a mere spectator on events.
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It → have → events
But we all know that the chances of it seizing control are slender, not least because Andy Burnham is believed to be sceptical about a third runway.
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Burnham → know → runway
His mind is habitually orientated towards the North.
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mind → orientate → North
The Government has again looked on hopelessly while budgets have been bust and timetables ignored.
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timetables → look → ?
In April 2023 Network Rail began work involving the rebuilding of a bridge and – supposedly – a new platform for Oxford station.
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Rail → begin → station
It entailed the closure of a major arterial road, and was meant to take between 12 and 18 months.
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It → entail → months
The road finally opened eight days ago.
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road → open → ?
The cost had been put at £161million but the bill (which will be paid by the taxpayer since Network Rail is a public body) has already reached £237million.
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Rail → put → 237million
Andy Burnham's mind is habitually orientated towards the North.
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mind → orientate → North
The planned station platform hasn’t been started and may never be.
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platform → start → ?
…and 22 more, not listed.
The Aporia
