If we are going to make Heathrow work effectively (and work for the UK as a whole), its needs a 3rd and 4th runway and those 4 runways must be able to work simultaneously, only then will it be able to cope with the demands of the UK economy, in return (to please local residents) LHR should put further restrictions on nosier and older aircraft
This will allow over 1 million flight movements and expand LHR maximum capacity to around 150 million passengers a year. If work started shortly after 2015, then it can be finished in the early 2020s
Remember, if LHR expands it will free up space at LGW, because all the Non-LCC/Charter traffic will want to move to LHR, starting with BA and VS, this in turn means that LCCs and Charter carriers can move services from Luton and Stansted (because there are higher yields at LGW), which in turn frees up space at those airports. Overall a bigger Heathrow will benefit all of London’s airports
That’s if it can ever be done (my prospects are very low on that regard…)