Skip to main content
Promotional material

About the draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement (HENPS)

The draft HENPS is a planning policy framework that sets out how future Heathrow expansion proposals would be assessed before any final decision is taken.

Documents

Details

The government is consulting on the draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement (HENPS), which sets out the planning policy framework for assessing any future Heathrow expansion proposals.

The draft HENPS explains the key issues that proposals would need to address, including impacts on:

  • air quality
  • climate
  • communities
  • noise

Read the draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement.

This is not planning permission. The draft HENPS is not giving permission for a third runway to be built.

The consultation seeks views on the policy framework that would guide future decisions against tests on:

  • air quality
  • climate
  • economic growth
  • noise

The consultation invites views from the public, stakeholders and interested groups before the policy is finalised and considered by Parliament. Once designated, the HENPS would guide decision‑making on any future development consent applications for Heathrow expansion.

Anyone wishing to build a runway would still need to submit a planning application through the statutory process.

Updates to this page

Published 18 June 2026

Sign up for emails or print this page