Heathrow’s plea for new runway

Tenants are in for a rough ride this year as rents rise and the number of properties fall. Latest figures from ARLA Propertymark revealed one in five of tenants experienced a rent hike in January, compared to 16% in December. The number of houses managed by letting agents dropped by 8%.

Bosses at Heathrow urged the Government to crack on with runway expansion yesterday as passenger numbers soared to a record high. The airport recorded a 3.1% hike to 78 million last year driven by new services to New Orleans and Barbados. However, despite hailing its fastest growth rate in five years, chief exec John Holland-Kaye, below, said European competition was heating up. “Our rivals in France and Germany are overtaking us,” he said. “The Government needs to crack on with a vote in Parliament before the summer.” If approved Heathrow hopes to have a third runway by 2025.