London Mayor Boris Johnson defended his proposal for a new hub airport in the Thames Estuary east of London, after an influential House of Commons committee said the idea should be ditched in favour of a third runway at Heathrow.
In a report published on Friday, the Commons Transport Committee said that the “Boris Island” option would be hugely expensive, could harm estuary wildlife and would also mean the closure of Heathrow.
Instead, the MPs said that an extra runway at Heathrow was necessary and also suggested that a fourth might have merit if the two new runways were located to the west of the current site. The current two-runway airport was “not adequate for the needs of the UK” and expansion of Heathrow was “long overdue”, they said.
But Mr Johnson said that a four-runway Heathrow would subject Londoners to levels of noise pollution “they haven’t yet dream of” whilst also disputing the MPs cost findings.
I agree completely old chap, These same people bang on about the need for infrastructure projects to get the economy moving and when you suggest a good one the response is pursed lips and cries of, “ooh Betty”
Fortunately MPs are a discredited lot Perhaps you could point out to UKIP that we don’t want London Airport named after the dodgy organist who conned us into the EU? Bypass the Government Raise enough private capital via your City chums – who must be good at something – build it anyway and shame the twerps into offering to pay for a rail or road link, and use Heathrow for public sector and low cost housing plus a big industry park with fast road and rail links to Boris Island, Luton,Stansted and Gatwick. Think bigger! Emma Chissit? A trillion should do it.
Why has Alconbury never been considered for a new London Airport? 60 miles north it is next to the A1, the hopefully to be upgraded A14 with the East Coast mainline running alongside. And there is a large airport already there that used to be used by USAF spy planes.
why does Boris keep on about this hugely expensive estuary project,he ought to look at Osaka Kansie in Japan to see the problems of creating artificial Islands when the solution is to develop MANSTON AIRPORT in Kent,outside Heathrow’s approaches, main approach over the sea,surrounded by open coutry NOT housing estates .ready rail links close by, Channel tunnel links nearby making it Northern France’s nearest International Airport,and good road links already in place
It already has a 10’000ft runway Boeing 747 ready ,WHY is this option always ignored ?