Doing battle with a naked Emperor

NEWSFLASH: the real reasons Flybe quit Manston - click HERE

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Medway Council are ready for battle. CPRE Protect Kent are ready to grab the opportunity to point out that the Emperors of Aviation are naked, and (quite brilliantly) want to inject a little democracy into the process. Best of luck guys.

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Cllr Rodney ChambersA fierce opponent of a Thames Estuary airport has vowed to fight all the way to the top as controversial plans take a step forward. Medway Council leader Cllr Rodney Chambers wants to work with the Towns' MPs to secure a crisis meeting with Prime Minister David Cameron or Chancellor George Osborne. Mr Cameron was set to announce preliminary backing for a huge airport potentially off the Kent coast - which would dwarf the size of Heathrow - earlier this month, according to a national newspaper.

It follows plans put forward by both London Mayor Boris Johnson and world-renowned architect Lord Foster for airports on different sites around Kent. The announcement would have been linked in with the High Speed 2 rail announcement, but was put back because it was claimed by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg it was 'being rushed through', according to the paper. Now it is believed the scheme will be unveiled in March, with the Prime Minister broadly backing the plans dependent on consultation.

Cllr Chambers said:

“We tried meeting with Boris Johnson and we were fobbed off with his acolytes. We should use the MPs to secure a meeting with George Osborne and the Prime Minister. I’ve no doubt that those affected by this will be ready to fight against this proposal as they did 10 years ago. If there’s going to be a battle then so be it.”

However, county-based campaigning organisation Protect Kent welcomed the move. Campaigns manager Andrew Ogden said:

"While our views on this consultation may appear to contradict our normal stance, we anticipate that this opportunity to share all of the facts and figures behind these proposals will expose them as the futile schemes they are.

Together with other campaigning and environmental groups, we will be presenting our case against these airports in response to the consultation. We will also be calling for a referendum to be held amongst all residents likely to be impacted by these proposals, both sides of the estuary."

London Mayor Boris Johnson wants to build a floating airport in the Thames Estuary - dubbed Boris Island. And plans were announced in November by renowned architect Lord Foster for a massive hub airport off the Hoo Peninsula, taking 150m passengers each year. The scheme involves building the hub airport - with twice the capacity of Heathrow - together with a huge barrage and a new rail network system: effectively an M25 for the railways, skirting London. If built, it would the 24-hour hub would have four runways, each 4km long. An integrated rail station beneath the passenger terminal would be the UK’s busiest - with 300,000 arrivals and departures every day.

kentonline 18th Jan 2012

Formal consultation on UK aviation

NEWSFLASH: the real reasons Flybe quit Manston - click HERE

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Thames Estuary airport plans to be examined

The government is to hold a formal consultation on UK aviation - including controversial plans for a new airport in the Thames Estuary. The study, to begin in March, will look at options for "maintaining the UK's aviation hub status".

Downing Street said no decisions had been made - London Mayor Boris Johnson backs the Thames airport idea. David Cameron has ruled out expanding Heathrow but his deputy Nick Clegg is said to be opposed to the estuary idea. Labour said the coalition was in a "complete mess" over aviation policy.

The airport would be built partly on reclaimed land and could be on either an island or a peninsula. But concerns have been raised about damage to the environment. Campaigners say the site, which is renowned for its populations of wintering birds and is an important breeding ground for avocets and marsh harriers in summer, must be protected.

In his Autumn Statement, Chancellor George Osborne did not rule out a new hub and this was seen by many as a sign that the government was warming to the scheme. David Cameron is said to be supportive of Mr Johnson's alternative to expanding Heathrow in west London but will await the outcome of the consultation. The Lib Dems oppose airport expansion in south east England.

Passenger demand for London's airports is forecast to increase from 140 million a year in 2010 to 400 million passengers a year by 2050, according to a previous report by the Greater London Authority. Colin Matthews, chief executive of airport operator BAA, which runs Heathrow, said he was pleased the government was recognising the need for more airport capacity. But he warned that London "can't have two hubs" and a new airport would inevitably mean Heathrow getting much smaller:

"The consequences of closing Heathrow wouldn't just be big for my company. It would be big for 100,000 jobs in this part of London. It's a huge issue economically, a huge issue politically."

Mr Johnson - who is running for a second term as mayor in May - told BBC Radio 4's Today programme there would be plenty of sovereign wealth funds willing to invest in the project.

"The difficulty would not be the financing of the airport per se... the difficulty obviously would be in the infrastructure, connectivity between the airport and central London, and that's why the consultation is essential. We can't go on expecting Britain to compete with France, Germany and other European countries when we simply can't supply the flights to these growth destinations - China, Latin America. We are being badly left behind."

But other candidates for London mayor have all expressed their opposition to the idea. Labour's Ken Livingstone said:

"An airport in the Thames threatens a huge increase in noise, congestion and pollution for millions of people in the east and south east of London, especially Bromley, Bexley, Havering and Barking. It also threatens hundreds of thousands of the jobs in west London who rely on Heathrow."

Lib Dem hopeful Brian Paddick said Heathrow would be "closed down" if the estuary airport was built, causing "devastation" in the area.

"It's a complete fantasy, all the local authorities and the airlines are against the idea, it's just a cynical move by the Tories to try to make the mayor look credible."

And the Green Party's Jenny Jones said airport capacity should not be expanded at all in the south east:

"If we were to end unnecessary flights to short haul destinations, space would be freed up for essential long haul flights and there would be no need to build another airport."

The RSPB, Medway Council and Kent County Council have opposed the Thames Estuary idea, saying it is "undeliverable, unaffordable and unnecessary".

The GMB union's civil aviation industry national officer, Mick Rix, also said the estuary plan was "plain daft" and called on all parties to look again at the possibility of a third runway at Heathrow.

Friends of the Earth's executive director Andy Atkins said a new airport in the Thames Estuary "would have a devastating impact on local communities and the environment".

In May 2010 plans for a third runway and sixth terminal at Heathrow were scrapped when the coalition government took office. BAA withdrew its plans for a second runway at Stansted at the same time and any expansion of Gatwick before 2019 has also been ruled out. A Department for Transport spokesman said "no decisions have been taken", adding:

"The government will consult on a sustainable framework for UK aviation this spring, at which time we will set out our long-term plans for the sector."

The idea for an airport somewhere in the Thames Estuary was first conceived in 1943, and many alternative locations and schemes have been proposed. One scheme would see runways built on artificial islands in the estuary and connected via rail shuttle links to terminals on the mainland.

Another recent, much larger concept devised by architect Sir Norman Foster involves an integrated air and high-speed rail hub built on reclaimed land near Grain in northern Kent.

The high speed rail link to London would traverse the river by a new barrier crossing, which would offer greater flood protection and generate power through tidal energy.

BBC online 18th Jan 2012

Boris shoots own foot in sympathy

NEWSFLASH: the real reasons Flybe quit Manston - click HERE

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'Boris Island' airport plan grounded over Johnson's briefing to Telegraph

An artist's impression of Norman Foster's design for a new four-runway airport on the Thames estuary

Downing Street told Boris Johnson on Wednesday that he had killed off any moves towards an airport in the Thames Estuary ahead of the next general election after an announcement by the London mayor was seized on by the Liberal Democrats. 

David Cameron and George Osborne, who have become alarmed by growing business anxiety about their opposition to expanding Heathrow, had indicated they were warm about a new airport which would assume Heathrow's role as a hub.

But the London mayor was told that he had handed a gift to the Lib Dems, who are opposed to any airport expansion in the south-east, when he briefed the Daily Telegraph that Downing Street had signed up to his proposal. A Whitehall source said:

"Boris is not going to get it. Yes to scoping on a new airport, but he won't get it. The way this has plopped out in the Telegraph, no doubt via Boris's team, has given people a chance to kill it."

The Lib Dems will support a consultation by Justine Greening, the transport secretary, on how to maintain a hub, but they will oppose any new airport. A Lib Dem source said:

"We are against airport expansion in the south-east. We are happy to go along with the consultation, but we have a policy which will not change."

Johnson was upbeat on Wednesday evening after he outlined his plans to a meeting of the Conservative 1922 committee.

"We must not count our chickens or over-egg this – to continue with a chicken metaphor – [but] the government is still looking at all the options. But George really gets the point about regeneration and jobs in the Thames estuary and the amazing capacity of a big transport hub to drive Britain's competitiveness for a long time to come."

The proposed airport would be an international hub that could open up new routes to south-east Asia and have capacity for connecting flights. At present, the British aviation industry says the nation is losing out to rivals airports such as Schiphol in Amsterdam and Charles de Gaulle in Paris. The government has ruled out a third runway at Heathrow, as has Labour since leaving power, a current political reality that has been reluctantly accepted by the industry.

Colin Matthews, the chief executive of airports operator BAA, said he was "pleased there was an acknowledgement that there was a need" for more airport capacity, but it would take decades to construct a whole new airport.

"The recognition today is that it matters to the UK economy, to jobs and to growth. There's no reason why any option should be ruled out."

Greening, however, has also ruled out further runways at Gatwick and Stansted in answers to parliamentary questions. Johnson told the BBC:

"You can't go on expecting Britain to compete with France and Germany when we simply can't supply the flights to growth destinations."

Heathrow, he said, was "fundamentally in the wrong place". He said listening to the "Heathrow recidivists" who argue that other options for airport expansion take too long would only lead to paralysis.

In his autumn statement, Osborne indicated the government would consider all options for airport expansion, which he sees as an opportunity for economic regeneration.

The architect Norman Foster has drawn up plans for an airport on the Isle of Grain, the easternmost point of the Hoo peninsula, with four runways and which could handle 150m passengers a year – double the current number passing through Heathrow. It is the latest in a range of proposals dating back decades for the estuary, including a mooted "Boris Island" airport at nearby Shivering Sands.

Aircraft would, however, have to contend with the multitudes of birds that flock in the area – a hazard to aviation and an issue that has brought opposition from environmental groups. The RSPB said it was a vital habitat for wildfowl and wading birds. Balpa, the pilots' union, said it would seek reassurances on the dangers posed by birdstrikes, as well as potential air traffic conflicts with Brussels, Heathrow and London City airports.

Guardian 18th Jan 2012

It's that mad airport plan. Again!

The Hoo Peninsula, and Heathrow. Click it to big it.The biggest airport in the world could be built on the on the Hoo Peninsula, according to reports. Plans for the four-runway airport, which could handle 150 million passengers a year, have been drawn up by leading architect Lord Foster.

The airport, which could cope with more than twice the amount of passengers who fly from Heathrow every year, has reportedly been described as "exciting" by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, who has been backing a different scheme for a Thames Estuary airport. He intends to raise the plan with the Chancellor, George Osborne.

The project, which could cost up to £50 billion, could be powered by the tidal energy of the North Sea said a report in the Sunday Times yesterday. Supporters of the scheme think it could become the leading transport hub by 2030, linking the South East’s railways, roads and ports with air traffic.

It would be built on the Isle of Grain with aircraft landing and taking off over the water, enabling flights to operate 24 hours a day, affecting fewer people than the 245,000 who suffer noise from Heathrow. But the plans will provoke anger with environmentalists, council leaders and people living on the Hoo Peninsula, which is rich in wildlife. The area is rich with birds and other wildlife, and is home to nature reserves run by the RSPB.

Cllr Chris Buckwell, chairman of Grain Parish Council, said:

"These ideas show geographical ignorance. The area is the Hoo Peninsula, not just the Isle of Grain – it’s not a good start. My reaction is the same as it was for the Cliffe Airport plans, we would resist it and the government has made it clear it has no plans for an airport here."

The leader of Medway Council, Cllr Rodney Chambers, said:

"Our argument against any airport plans still stands, this is an even bigger pie in the sky idea. Not everyone who flies into Heathrow comes to the South East, people go up North too, Birmingham’s airport runs at 30 per cent capacity, perhaps a hub airport in the north would be better."

Mark Reckless, MP for Rochester and Strood, said:

"If it was a serious proposal I’d expect it to be more broadly covered in the media, it’s always the Sunday Times. It’s ridiculous, they’ve not got a clear proposal."

kentonline 1st Aug 2011

Boris confined to London!

Those nice people at AEF (the Aviation Environment Federation) have managed to shoe-horn a little bit of sense into Boris' more grandiose ramblings. The London Plan is now restricted to, er, London - rather than the whole south east, and it now contains a commitment to phasing out night flights. Great work, guys!

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The London Plan is the spatial strategy for London.  At the 'Examination in Public' (EiP) last autumn AEF was invited to present its views on the draft Plan, following written representations. The report of the Panel of inspectors has now been published.

By the time the EiP was held, the coalition government had announced that it was opposed to a third runway at Heathrow. This was supported in the plan, which was unsurprising as Mayor Boris Johnson is Conservative. However the draft Plan said "..  he [the Mayor] does recognise the need for additional runway capacity in the south-east of England."  AEF argued that this was gratuitous, because no evidence was presented to this effect and the national government was not of this view, having come out against extra runways in the SE, not just at Heathrow. The Panel agreed, noting also that airports outside London were outside the remit of the London Plan, and they recommended that the statement be deleted.

The Panel also recommend that the following statement be inserted ".. supports the government statement of 7 September 2010 opposing mixed-mode operations and supporting runway alternation, westerly preference and related measures to mitigate noise effects on local communities.  He also supports phasing out of scheduled ATMs during the night-time quota period."  

We also said that Noise Action Plans and designated 'Quiet Areas' should be specifically mentioned in the Plan. This was done, the Panel recommending this addition "The Mayor will support action by Airport Operators to prepare Noise Action Plans for London's Airports and by the Boroughs to identify and implement 'Quiet Areas' with a view to ensuring that environmental issues are suitably taken into account alongside economic considerations when dealing with aviation-related development". However, this statement is rather double-edged. It seems to endorse a widespread conventional view that environment and quality of life can be sacrificed in the name of economic benefits.

Manston could help ease strain of games

Clipping: thisiskent

Bosses at Manston airport have revealed they are in talks with Olympic officials such as organising committee chairman Seb Coe to give the airport a role in the 2012 London games. Chief executive Matt Clarke believes the airport’s location and facilities will mean it can be used to fly in athletes, fans and equipment to the London gamese the inevitable strain placed on Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and London City airports in 2012. He said:

"The Olympic Games is the biggest sporting spectacle in the world and competing athletes, their coaches, equipment and spectators in large numbers will be flown in from around the world during a relatively short period of time. Given that the London airports are frequently congested under normal circumstances – let alone when the biggest sporting event in the world comes to town – it is quite clear that Kent International Airport will have a role to play."

The airport chief predicts their will be a build-up in charter flights over the isle before the games but also expects private jets to be shooting across the isle. He continued:

"We expect to see is an influx of private jets, inbound chartered passenger flights and freight services immediately before and during the Olympics. We do not expect to see an increase in jobs relating specifically to the Olympics business as we will already have the resources required to accommodate the brief step-up in activity. The biggest constraint for an airport close to an event of this scale is more likely to be aircraft parking space as there is sure to be a vast number of aircraft from all over the world to descending on the south east in a short space of time. We have had discussions with a number of people involved in the planning of the event and they are aware that we have significant capacity to accommodate air traffic during what will be an extremely busy period."

London Mayor Boris Johnson is also setting his sites on Manston. Writing his column in the Daily Telegraph he said:

"South-eastern councils and the London authorities have decided to look again at all the options around London that could save us from the mistake of expanding Heathrow. They include making better use of existing assets, not least Manston, which has the longest runway in the country."

Six million passengers for Kent airport

An international travel hub could be created at Kent International Airport at Manston. The 25-year vision from KIA bosses at the former Battle of Britain airfield includes a complex to rival Luton and Stanstead, with passenger intake increasing from 16,000 a year at today’s figures to six million in 2033.

It foresees a second passenger terminal, an extension to the A299 Thanet Way - providing a direct route into the airport for freight and passenger traffic, and a railway station to serve the airport, which aims to take passengers from London St Pancras to Manston in 80 minutes. Two spots have been earmarked for the parkway station - at Cliffsend and the Lord of the Manor roundabout, which is the favoured spot.

Passenger flights will return to Manston. Likely destinations are Faro, Malaga and Palma, as well as domestic services to Manchester, Glasgow, Dublin and Edinburgh. Another option is to bring in a budget airline to Manston and bosses say they have made "significant progress" in this area. Matt Clarke, KIA chief executive, said:

"The growth in the airport here will come as the other airports in the south east near their capacity. They’ll become less easy to use, and certainly the convenient, regional airports (like Manston) have the opportunity to soak up some of that extra growth as the demand for air travel increases. It will be such an improvement for the Thanet area, particlularly because the airport has the potential for huge, wide-scale growth and employment opportunities. The 2033 estimates suggest there’ll be 7,500 jobs created as a result of the aiport - 1,200 of them will be directly employed at Manston.

The commencement of the high speed domestic rail services between Ramsgate and London in 2009 will dramatically reduce travel times making the airport even more attractive to passengers and aircraft operators. The proposed expansion is supported by national, regional and local planning and economic development policy, and with the extensive facilities currently in place, the infrastructure required to support the projected growth can be accommodated on land currently owned by the airport. We already have the beginnings of a well-developed airport. Aircraft handling facilities exceed those found at many successful regional airports and we already host daily 747 aircraft movements during our peak season. KIA is substantial asset which will benefit the whole county and provide much-needed runway capacity for the south east."

The airport is also expected to see an increase in the level of freight it handles, rising from 33,000 tonnes at the moment to 100,000 tonnes by 2010, 150,000 tonnes by 2012, and more than 500,000 tonnes in 2033.

Following the announcement, Thanet North MP Roger Gale said he believes that London mayor Boris Johnson should "look very seriously at the potential of Manston as the site of a major regional airport". Mr Gale said:

"Manston is a service that could be swiftly developed and is waiting to happen. The pressure on Heathrow and Gatwick could be relieved very successfully if a serious effort was put behind the plans unveiled by Kent International Airport."

Mr Gale has campaigned for 20 years for the airport to be serviced by proper infrastructure and he praised the vision of a high-speed rail link to Manston. He said:

"The ideas suggested by Matt Clarke and the team at KIA are exciting for the whole of the region and Thanet in particular. However, this is only possible with the development of a parkway station, which would be a ‘halt’. It would need a large car park, two covered platforms and a swift link direct to the terminal."

kentonline 8th Oct 2008

Carter prefers Manston to Boris Island

Kent County Council leader Paul Carter has hit back at Boris Johnson's call for a new airport in the Thames Estuary. Mr Johnson, the Tories' London mayoral candidate, is calling on the Government to reconsider plans for a new airport in the estuary instead of going ahead with the widely opposed plans for a third runway at Heathrow.

But Cllr Carter on the other hand believes Kent International Airport at Manston could be the solution to improve airport capacity and has invited MP Boris Johnson to see for himself. He said:

"Manston provides enormous opportunities for aviation technology and services and support of the aviation industry. An airport on the Thames Estuary is never going to be viable or popular. We don't need it when we have a perfectly positioned, ready-for-action, airport in Manston. I look forward to welcoming Boris to Kent to see what Kent has already on offer."

Manston has one of the few long-haul runways in the UK and currently has the capacity to run 700,000 passenger flights a year. Mr Carter stressed with one million passengers through Manston this would create between 1,500 to 2,000 jobs in an area which has some of the highest deprivation in the country.

Matt Clarke, the chief executive of Kent International Airport, has backed the county leader’s calls for the airport to be better utilised. He said:

"Kent International is a significant piece of aviation infrastructure. We are one of the few airports in the UK with a long-haul capable runway and we already host daily Boeing 747 freight services at Manston. We have the capacity to soak up some of the South-East’s excess demand for runway capacity. Using facilities that already exist makes much more sense than building a new airport."

kentonline 15th Feb 2008