In a joint letter published on 18 June 2026, the Department for Transport and the Home Office reminded all promoters of Heathrow expansion that any third-runway scheme must include a fully costed plan to relocate the immigration removal centres (IRCs) that currently occupy land earmarked for construction. The Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS) has long required reprovisioning of the Harmondsworth and Colnbrook IRCs, which between them detain up to 1,000 people awaiting removal from the UK. Until now, however, dialogue about how — and where — to rebuild the facilities has largely taken place behind closed doors. The letter signals a more transparent approach. Bidders have been invited to sign non-disclosure agreements that will give them access to Home Office design standards, operational requirements and “minimum viable” specifications covering security technology, medical suites and detainee welfare. Failure to engage could see a project ruled non-compliant during the Development Consent Order phase. For global mobility and travel managers the stakes are high.
For organisations that need to keep staff moving smoothly through Heathrow during any period of disruption, VisaHQ can act as a valuable safety net. Its UK portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) offers real-time visa updates, streamlined application processing and a centralised dashboard for tracking multiple travellers—all of which can help mitigate the knock-on effects that construction and border-policy changes might have on corporate travel plans.
Construction phasing will determine whether parts of Heathrow’s perimeter road network – used by staff shuttles and cargo traffic — require long-term diversions, potentially disrupting crew changes and critical-spare logistics. The Home Office also insists that any temporary decant of detainees during the build must not reduce overall detention capacity, a factor that could influence enforcement rhythms at the border. Promoters have until the end of August to submit outline IRC proposals. The Home Office says early engagement will avoid “late-stage surprises” that could derail timetables and inflate costs.
For organisations that need to keep staff moving smoothly through Heathrow during any period of disruption, VisaHQ can act as a valuable safety net. Its UK portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) offers real-time visa updates, streamlined application processing and a centralised dashboard for tracking multiple travellers—all of which can help mitigate the knock-on effects that construction and border-policy changes might have on corporate travel plans.
Construction phasing will determine whether parts of Heathrow’s perimeter road network – used by staff shuttles and cargo traffic — require long-term diversions, potentially disrupting crew changes and critical-spare logistics. The Home Office also insists that any temporary decant of detainees during the build must not reduce overall detention capacity, a factor that could influence enforcement rhythms at the border. Promoters have until the end of August to submit outline IRC proposals. The Home Office says early engagement will avoid “late-stage surprises” that could derail timetables and inflate costs.
