@A320Ecam
People and things in the way:to put it simply lots of them....so a lot of people are going to be annoyed about any proposal whether it is for an airport or a new road/bypass because it affects them adversely and its going to cost a great deal of money to move or placate them.
The UK is the most densely populated country in Europe. France has the same population in twice the land area.
Also the current legal framework give those aggrieved a lot of scope to make trouble whether that is inside parliament or outside.
I've done it myself - we had a local planning dispute going for 10 years for a 5 acre plot - just continue to moan and complain and argue endlessly, it went to judicial review, up to the local gov minister, round and round again.
Yes we used to do things like the Chinese when we built railways and canals and yes we could do it again: as follows:
1. Abolish all judicial review processes and any rights to question all and any Government decisions.
2. Abolish any duties on the government to "consult" various groups.
2. Abolish all right to compensation. Look how wartime legislation gave HMG a head start to 'create' Heathrow as it became by edict rather than actually have to "pay" landowners to buy the land plot by plot.
3. Abolish all H&Safety, Human Rights Acts and employment protection legislation.
4. Remove the right to vote from women - they are the main activists and complainers about usually everything.