THE government is “pathetically in the pocket” of Heathrow bosses, the Green Party said today after ministers backed plans from the airport’s owners to move the M25 to make way for a third runway.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander rejected a rival proposal from Arora Group, saying that Heathrow’s own plans were “the most credible and deliverable option.”

Heathrow’s proposal involves constructing a 11,482-foot runway and building a new M25 tunnel and bridges 426 feet west of the existing motorway.

The alternative plan, put forward by a group led by hotel tycoon Surinder Arora, proposed a shorter 9,186-foot runway.

But Ms Alexander said that it would still have “a considerable impact” on the M25 and require the compulsory purchase of additional homes.

Heathrow expects its expansion to involve demolishing about 750 homes.

A Heathrow spokesperson welcomed the government’s decision, but said that “further clarity” was needed on how the next phase would be regulated, urging “definitive decisions” from ministers and the Civil Aviation Authority by mid-December.

The proposed third runway carries an estimated price tag of £33 billion, including £1.5bn for moving the M25, and is expected to be funded entirely through private finance.

The project would increase Heathrow’s capacity to 756,000 flights and 150 million passengers annually.

The government aims to rule on a planning application before the next general election, with the runway due to become operational by 2035.

The plans will undergo further consultation as ministers revise the Airports National Policy Statement, and the Transport Secretary has pledged to seek advice from the climate change committee to ensure compatibility with Britain’s carbon targets.

Green MP Sian Berry warned that the plans would “trash vital climate targets” and “cause misery on the roads, all for the benefit of the very richest.”

“This government is so pathetically in the pocket of Heathrow bosses and the most wealthy frequent flyers, that it will support this ridiculous and costly plan for expansion, despite the miserable disruption it will cause to everyone else’s daily lives,” she said.

“This Labour government must fix its twisted priorities, ditch the aviation obsession, and invest its effort instead in a real green future with high-paid green jobs, warmer homes and cheaper bills.”