Councils block Terminal Five

A move by councils opposed to the construction of a fifth terminal at Heathrow Airport could delay a start on the œ1 billion project by up to six months.

At a pre-inquiry meeting on Monday, the councils asked for the public inquiry proper to be delayed until a date for another hearing into plans for associated motorway works was announced.

If the meeting's chairman, Roy Vandermeer, agrees, the inquiry would not start until next autumn.

BAA, the terminal's sponsor, is hoping to commence work in 1997. Architect for the project is Richard Rogers, and Bovis is the construction consultant.