Heathrow third runway: Telford sites on list of potential hub locations
Two sites in Telford have been named as possible sites for major hubs to support the building of a third runway at Heathrow Airport.
Four sites are to be created outside London where work will be carried out on parts for the runway, which will then be transported to the UK's biggest airport for construction on-site.
Six sites have been long-listed in the Midlands, and among them are two in Telford – at Hortonwood and at a property at the town's Rail Freight Terminal at Donnington.
The four others in the region are at Burton on Trent, Tamworth, and two in Stoke.
The hubs will work to "preassemble and consolidate components" before transporting them to Heathrow. It is intended to improve the quality of components going into the site, and to drive down the cost and construction time for the new runway.
The airport has said it wants to "shake-up the UK construction industry" by "using expansion to revolutionise the way Britain builds major infrastructure".
In total 65 locations across Britain remain in the running, all bidding to participate in the construction of the runway.
Lord Deighton, Heathrow’s chairman, said: “Heathrow’s third runway will rely on talent from all over Britain helping to create a national asset for generations to come.
"This means new procurement opportunities for businesses in every region, helping drive growth and investment into local communities in all corners of this country.
"The third runway is not a London centric project – it is one we are opening up to the whole of the UK, asking for its skills and expertise to help build an asset this country so desperately needs to safeguard its future prosperity.”
SMEs from across the region will also be invited to Heathrow Business Summits – one of which will be held in Birmingham in 2018.
The summits will help businesses access the opportunities available to them when building of the new runway starts.
