Councils ready to reignite battle against Estuary airport

22 October 2009

The mayor of London’s decision to set up a steering group to progress plans for a new Thames Estuary Airport has rekindled the opposition of local authorities in Kent which oppose the plan.

Mr Johnson set up the group in response to a technical review by Douglas Oakervee, which says the scheme would cost around £40bn, including transport links, but would produce substantial overall savings.

The review did not specify a location, but says there are no insoluble issues regarding weather, geology, hydrography, shipping lanes, fishing, leisure activities or other physical obstructions to prevent an airport being built.

Mr Johnson responded with a steering group to look at issues including climate change, flood management, renewable energy, environment, ecology, regeneration, shipping, road and rail links and aviation. Sir David King, the Government’s former chief science advisor, will chair the group.

But the leaders of Kent CC and Medway Council announced they would relaunch their campaign to oppose the plan. In 2002, they launched a similar campaign which saw off plans for an airport at Cliffe on the Hoo Peninsula.

‘The Thames Estuary Airport would require huge, unsightly highways to be built linking the airport with the motorway network, turning parts of Medway and Kent into a concrete jungle,’ said Medway leader, Rodney Chambers. ‘The scheme does not add up.’

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