, were amongst those who, today, raised their alarm that a consultation will take place in March over plans for a Thames Estuary Airport. The plans could either see the new airport built on a peninsula or on an island, dubbed 'Boris Island’ – due to the fact its main champion is Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.
Either way, there is huge opposition to an airport in the Thames Estuary from conservation and environmental groups who say its environmental impact on the area, which is renowned for its bird population, would be devastating and will run counter to UK plans to decarbonise the economy.
"Horrified"
"We are horrified by this proposal – especially from a Government that claims to aspire to be the greenest ever," said Carlo Laurenzi, chief executive of London Wildlife Trust.
Chris Corrigan, RSBP director for South East England said a development of this type would be "an irreversible act of vandalism on a grand scale. Paving over communities and wildlife is not the way forward. We should be investing in our environment and tackling climate change, building foundations which future generations will thank us for."
Friends of the Earth’s executive director Andy Atkins called into question the economics of an airport in the Thames Estuary, saying they "simply don't add up.
"David Cameron's pledge to lead the greenest Government ever will ring hollow if he gives the green light to a huge expansion in air travel."
Coalition rift
The plans also look set to cause a further strain on the Coalition, with the Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne said to be supportive of the plans as way of maintaining the UK’s aviation hub status, but the Deputy Prime Minister and Liberal Democrat Nick Clegg is opposed to an airport in the Thames Estuary.
The Government is opposed to an expansion of Heathrow, but according to a report by the Greater London Authority, passenger demand for London's airports is forecast to increase from 140 million passengers a year in 2010 to 400 million passengers a year by 2050.
A new airport east of London would, according to the London Mayor, be a huge economic boon for the capital. It would also fit in with Osborne’s plans to grow the economy through major infastructure projects. In November, the Chancellor unveiled a £5 billion
National Infrastructure Plan, which he said would see "roads, railways, airport capacity, power stations, waste facilities, broadband networks" built over the next decade and beyond. Last week, the Government gave the go-ahead to
HS2, a £32 billion high speed rail project that will link up the North with the South East.
Speaking on BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme, this morning, Mayor Johnson said: "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."
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