'Boris Island' airport discussion - merged posts

[whole diary]

[ellendune]

Of course if Ms Greening supports a replacement airport at Boris Island then this would all be waste of money. 

But then Boris Island is a scheme invented by people who don't think things through. (Bird strikes on aircraft, LPG^▸ (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) depot just next door, low lying site just outside the proposed new Thames Barrier).  It all seems very good - just don't cloud the issue with facts.

[eightf48544]

Plus 1400 tons  of wartime explosive in a the sunken Liberty Ship SS Richard Montgomery nearby.

[Wilf19]

We've gone off topic now I know, but I can't see Boris Island working. Surely it has to be the wrong side of London for a good chunk of the population and if the Govt. stated aim is to reduce internal flights then Boris Island will need a whole shed load of new rail infrastructure to go with it.

And as ellendune says, surely the USAir Hudson River ditching and an emergency landing in Amsterdam back in the summer due to an engine out caused by it swallowing a goose should suggest that putting a major airport near large bird populations probably isn't a good idea!

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Greening clashes with MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament) over 'Boris Island' airport

Transport Secretary Justine Greening has clashed with MPs about the idea of a new airport for London.

She was asked by the transport select committee whether she backed the plan for an airport in the Thames Estuary, dubbed "Boris Island" due to its backing by London Mayor Boris Johnson.

But she said MPs had not appeared to understand Mr Johnson's stance and had "no details" behind their questions.

The chair of the committee told her that her remarks were "out of order".

Ms Greening was giving evidence to the committee on the transport plans outlined in last month's autumn statement.

But the hearing became heated when Louise Ellman, the Labour MP who chairs the committee, asked the transport secretary whether she was going to "explore the Boris Island idea".

In response, Ms Greening asked the cross-party committee whether they had read any of the witness statements provided by Mr Johnson as part of a "call for evidence" on airport capacity in London.

"If anyone has, I would be interested if you could raise your hands," she said.

But Mrs Ellman said this was not the way the committee conducted its hearings, telling her: "No, no, no, we are asking you the questions."

Ms Greening went on to suggest that if the MPs "had actually read that evidence", they would know that the London Mayor had not explicitly called for a new airport to be located in the Thames Estuary, east of the capital, but rather for a new "hub airport" in the south-east of England.

Mrs Ellman told the transport secretary that "it is not for you to suppose or assume or think anything" but to answer the committee's questions about the issue raised.

But the transport secretary said the MPs were trying to "pin her down" on a subject that she preferred not to discuss as she did not want to "jump a process that is already under way"

And she added: "I think it is also incumbent on the committee to, in a sense, have some kind of details behind questions".

But Mrs Ellman told her: "Secretary of State. That is not in order. This meeting, we ask you the questions. You may have whatever thoughts you wish but your role is to answer questions."

Conservative MP Kwasi Kwarteng, whose Spelthorne constituency includes Heathrow airport, said the transport secretary had failed to address the issue.

"You are head of a very important department," he said. "This is a major strategic issue and you simply flannelled and have not given any kind of direction or what your way of thinking is on this."

The transport secretary rejected this and said ministers were "considering all the proposals that have been put to us", adding "of course that includes proposals from people like the mayor".

The government has ruled out building a new runway at Heathrow and there are restrictions on further expansion at Gatwick and Stansted.

Business groups have warned that London will lose out to other European countries if more airport capacity is not built near the capital.

But Ms Greening said she was looking at ways of making better use of existing capacity and it would be wrong to draw conclusions on future plans ahead of the publication of the government's draft strategy on aviation expected in the Spring.

"I do think it is incumbent on us to come up with a strategy which is well thought through... and will stand the test of time," she said.

[Chris from Nailsea]

I've merged a few posts here in this new topic - purely in the interests of clarity and continuity, as ever ... 

[JayMac]

Ms Greening asking those assembled to 'raise your hands'.

Should someone point out that she is no longer (no matter how briefly) a teacher?

[Chris from Nailsea]

Her coolness towards the idea, though, does suggest that her Department is not exactly enamoured of the concept? 

[JayMac]

One wonders though what Dave thinks.

Old school tie.....

[paul7575]

What never seems to get mentioned in the discussions of Heathrow is the massive area around the airport where nearly all those businesses that support the airport are located.  Just think of all the warehousing and transport companies that deal with distribution of incoming freight.

Are they going to transplant all the surrounding businesses, workforce, housing and schools etc into the Thames Estuary as well?

Paul

[Btline]

It would leave a massive void in West London. But that could be a perfect opportunity to solve the South East's housing shortage! With 2 rail lines and the Tube it could be very green!

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

'Boris Island' London Airport designs unveiled


The consortium behind the airport said it could be built in seven years

Designs and details of how a Thames estuary airport would work have been unveiled.

London Britannia Airport, the proposed six-runway airport formerly known as Boris Island, would cost ^47.3bn.

The consortium behind the scheme claims it could be built within seven years.

The Davies airport commission is currently reviewing potential sites for more airport capacity in the South East, including additional runways at Gatwick and Heathrow.

Testrad (Thames Estuary Research and Development) said the island scheme avoided the problems of other land-based airport developments.

A spokeswoman said those included demolition of houses, removal of green field sites, bird strikes, acquisition of private land and demolition of industrial infrastructure.

She said a key point was "separating people from planes" by giving passengers the benefit of air travel but without noise because all aircraft landing and departures would be over the estuary rather than residential areas.


Testrad said opportunities for housing, employment and the economy were huge but Heathrow would probably have to close

"Most importantly it avoids flying over densely populated areas of London and the South East, removing completely the noise contours and impact which have bedevilled millions of people throughout and around London over the past 40 years," she said.

The consortium has said that although Heathrow would probably have to close, the opportunities for new housing, employment and economic regeneration were huge.

It said ^47bn would be recouped from the real estate value and closure of Heathrow.

Testrad said there could be a new London borough in the Heathrow area with 300,000 new houses and about 200,000 new jobs, along with economic regeneration of east London, Kent and Essex.

It said the runway configuration would allow three or four aircraft to operate at the same time, 24-hours-a-day in all weather conditions.

Logistics operations would be at Sheerness and the A249 would be upgraded to provide a new M2 connection.

Passenger check-in and arrival terminals would be at Ebbsfleet, next to the high speed rail link, and at King's Cross railway station in London.

There would be a long-term option of a check-in at the Royal Docks in east London and central London.

Testrad said check-in terminals would be linked to the airport by high speed rail tunnels and the estuary airport would be "car free with no private car access".

The London Britannia Airport is on the same site as the former "Boris Island" plan but the project was a new "iteration" of research conducted years ago, the spokeswoman added.

Testrad is the original agency formed by London Mayor Boris Johnson to look at the estuary airport option, but it now involves more partners including architecture, marine, environment, transport and aviation experts, she said.

Medway, Kent and Southend councils, the RSPB and environmental campaigners have opposed the estuary airport plans.


Testrad said all aircraft landing and departures would be over the estuary

[Kernow Otter]

Yet another transport infrastructure proposal with the needs of the South West at the heart of its thinking.....

[ellendune]

And even more expensive the HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s))!

[JayMac]

Aside from cost, it makes far more sense than expanding Heathrow.

[ellendune]

You mean apart from the risk of sea bird strikes, being on the wrong side of London to most of the country and the job losses in West London