Boris Johnson was joined by engineers and former Minister for London and Labour MP Nick Raynsford earlier today when he visited the site of a proposed new airport in the Thames Estuary.
Mr Johnson has made clear his opposition to any further development at Heathrow and has been calling on Ministers to consider his idea of an airport on the Thames along the lines of Chek Lap Kok in Hong Kong. In November he asked Doug Oakervee, Executive Chair of Crossrail, to conduct a preliminary feasibility study into the proposal.
In November a spokesman for the Mayor said the Oakervee study involved no costs and that the Mayor was intending public money be spent building the airport should the project proceed.
Speaking today the Mayor said his trip had “reaffirmed in my mind that a new airport in the Thames estuary has got to be factored in as an option for London’s long-term aviation needs. I am reassured by a number of aspects of this visit and will now eagerly await Doug Oakervee’s initial feasibility study.”
Opponents accuse the Mayor of pursuing an “unrealistic” policy.
Accompanying the Mayor’s party was Dr Graham Plant who has worked on civil engineering and building projects across the world.
Raynsford, who is chairing of a new cross-party parliamentary group on the proposal, said: “I have always believed that the estuary was a potential site for London’s main airport and today’s visit has reinforced that view.”
City Hall says the Oakervee is expected to be completed “around the end of March”.
Gill Moore says
An airport in the Thames Estuary would be environmental vandalism on a grand scale!
Climate change remains the greatest threat to biodiversity and mankind and alongside a broad coalition of millions of people including RSPB, Womens Institute, Greenpeace, WWF we believe that there should be no further airport expansion.The construction of a massive new airport in the Thames Estuary will have impacts that extend far outside the immediate area. Emissions from aircraft remains the fastest increasing source of greenhouse gases and the demand for flights should be managed rather than just accepted as necessary.
The whole issue was exhaustively investigated between 2002 and 2005 in the Government’s Aviation White Paper. The idea of an airport in the Thames Estuary (not just Cliffe) was conclusively ruled out and upheld by the High Court.
Bird strike
An airport in the Thames Estuary would be unsafe.
Even with an aggressive bird hazard management programme (i.e. destruction of habitats and shooting or scaring the birds away), the bird strike hazard would be up to 12 times higher than at any other major UK airport.The governments own birdstrike hazard report from the 2003 SERAS study stated that “It is difficult to envisage a more problematic site anywhere in the UK”
links
http://www.bexleytimes.co.uk/content/bexley/times/news/story.aspx?brand=BXYOnline&category=news&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newsbxy&itemid=WeED21%20Jan%202009%2015%3A17%3A08%3A850
http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/details.asp?id=tcm:9-199263
Peter Kent says
No no no! Please someone save us from this madness! Apart from the obvious enviromental destruction, how much longer are people in these areas going to have to put up with being the dumping ground of London!!