Heathrow Tempts Runway Opponents With $1,250 Christmas Sweetener

  • London hub offers homeowners cash to take part in nature study
  • CEO seeking to speed planning process after expansion go-ahead
Photographer: Matthew Lloyd/Bloomberg
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Heathrow Airport Ltd. will offer hundreds of homeowners a 1,000-pound ($1,250) festive sweetener to participate in environmental studies vital to expediting planning for its controversial 16 billion-pound third runway.

The owners of houses and farmland on which the new landing strip is due to be built will qualify for the payment in return for agreeing to a handful of visits over about two years, Heathrow Chief Executive Officer John Holland-Kaye said in an interview. The surveys are required to establish the site’s wildlife value.