Boris's city idea for Thames Estuary airport (From Southend Standard)
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Boris's city idea for Thames Estuary airport
8:35am Thursday 29th November 2012 in Echo News
Boris Johnson
LONDON mayor Boris Johnson has set out an elaborate plan to build a mini city around the proposed Thames Estuary airport.
The “aerotropolis”, located off the coast of south Essex, could become home to 20,000 people and feature major developments, such as a hospital, university campus and major business centre.
Mr Johnson also hopes to create, what he calls, a social infrastructure, including shops, parks, schools and a transport network.
He has revealed his lofty ambitions after a visit to Hyderabad, India.
Its two-runway airport is set to double in size over the next five years and is a leading example of the vision for building cities around an airport.
Speaking from the Indian airport after his week-long tour of the country, Mr Johnson said: “This airport in Hyderabad is very impressive. “The Indians are very ambitious, but they are very efficient as they use the airport to grow the local economy. They are quite right. We have much to learn.
“I very much admire that vision and I’m thinking along similar lines in London.
“We have an airport capacity crisis. India’s vision of an aerotropolis is extremely powerful.”
The proposed £50billion Thames Estuary airport, just a few miles off the coast of Southend and Canvey, could see 150million passengers pass through every year.
Mr Johnson believes the idea would provide a long-term plan for Britain’s airport capacity crisis and prevent further expansion at Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted.
Comments(43)
GentleGiant
says...
8:54am Thu 29 Nov 12
Mind you we would need the A130 extending to Kent first.
liseinga
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10:10am Thu 29 Nov 12
exBillericayDicky
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11:14am Thu 29 Nov 12
Shoebury_Cyclist wrote:Why? because he dares to think outside the norm?
The loon needs locking up.
Olivia2847
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11:23am Thu 29 Nov 12
liseinga wrote:Yeh but look at the ones we have here at the moment a load of ignorants! Good luck Boris - crack on!
Making plans for our area, what a cheek. He is NOT mayor of Southend, thankfully, so should not make plans for this area. OUT OF ORDER.
Olivia2847
says...
11:23am Thu 29 Nov 12
exBillericayDicky wrote:Exactly - we have a council full of norms who couldn't run a bath .....
Shoebury_Cyclist wrote:Why? because he dares to think outside the norm?
The loon needs locking up.
Shoebury_Cyclist
says...
11:28am Thu 29 Nov 12
exBillericayDicky wrote:Because he clearly thinks being Mayor of London equates to being Mayor of the entire country. He has no jurisdiction over Essex and Kent, and has no right to inflict his idiotic fantasies on the people who live here.
Shoebury_Cyclist wrote:Why? because he dares to think outside the norm?
The loon needs locking up.
marshman
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11:29am Thu 29 Nov 12
andyh
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11:36am Thu 29 Nov 12
Could probably be combined with enough tidal power generation to provide all the electricity needed for that housing with enough to spare for maglev transport to central London.
Right, now to consider my consultancy fees.
maxell
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11:43am Thu 29 Nov 12
Shoebury_Cyclist
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11:49am Thu 29 Nov 12
andyh wrote:Because building on flood plains and simultaneously reducing the amount of drainage is foolish?
I don't think the idea is so unreasonable. However, perhaps he is too modest in these ambitions - why not take the idea to a logical extension and treat the Thames Estuary in the manner that the Dutch treated the Zuider Zee? That could provide huge amounts of land for housing and would be no uglier than Canvey :-)
Could probably be combined with enough tidal power generation to provide all the electricity needed for that housing with enough to spare for maglev transport to central London.
Right, now to consider my consultancy fees.
Shoebury_Cyclist
says...
11:54am Thu 29 Nov 12
maxell wrote:The Fenchurch St and Liverpool St lines could easily be linked by putting a connecting line through Southchurch from Thorpe Bay to Southend Vic.
It would seem to be a good idea as the freight from DP world would have only to cross a bridge rather than using the road or rail , thus reducing the road carbon footprint, and on the plus side southend would have an air display 24/7 forever. Due to large investments of dp world, the thames project has real legs, as I feel that it is realised that getting freight to the nearest airport is important, and southend is really not that accessable, if the stobart group were to take 25% of the freight containers, out of the million container movements documented, thats 250.000 trucks into southend a year, 684 trucks a day. Further investment would be needed to to develop a train link from basically the fenchurch street line over to the liverpool street line the neaerest and obvious place to develop this would be the saddlers farm aera. or is this already planned, saddlers was re-developed to cater for freight from DP world, and where will all the containers be stored easy the old access /tommeys site next the the rail way line , I can see it now gantry cranes, 24 opperation, tannoys, flood lights, but hopefully lots of jobs for local people as well.
Eric Whim
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11:55am Thu 29 Nov 12
eurodoomed
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1:11pm Thu 29 Nov 12
Anyone who knows anything about south Essex will know that it cannot possibly take any further development.
The government should squash the idea once and for all, so as to stop time and money being wasted on this lunatic proposal, and to stop thousands of people being unnecessarily worried.
Expansion of existing airports has to be the most sensible and environmentally acceptable option.
andyh
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1:29pm Thu 29 Nov 12
Shoebury_Cyclist wrote:The Dutch* managed to complete such a project and gained land area greater than 1/3rd of that of Essex. Make no mistake, it would be a long term project (it took them 75 years) but it would provide enormous benefits both to infrastructure and the economy.
andyh wrote:Because building on flood plains and simultaneously reducing the amount of drainage is foolish?
I don't think the idea is so unreasonable. However, perhaps he is too modest in these ambitions - why not take the idea to a logical extension and treat the Thames Estuary in the manner that the Dutch treated the Zuider Zee? That could provide huge amounts of land for housing and would be no uglier than Canvey :-)
Could probably be combined with enough tidal power generation to provide all the electricity needed for that housing with enough to spare for maglev transport to central London.
Right, now to consider my consultancy fees.
* oddly enough, the one thing they haven't built on that reclaimed land is a major international airport … or any airport at all, it seems.
exBillericayDicky
says...
1:31pm Thu 29 Nov 12
In the South East we cannot take anymore onland development, but, there are many old airfields out there (West Malling? etc) that can be expanded for local/European flights, cargo, and keep LGW/LHR open for more longer distance flights
andyh
says...
1:32pm Thu 29 Nov 12
eurodoomed wrote:Actually, the whole point is that it is not to be built in South Essex, but on reclaimed land between Kent and Essex.
I suspect Boris has never travelled east of Barking.
Anyone who knows anything about south Essex will know that it cannot possibly take any further development.
The government should squash the idea once and for all, so as to stop time and money being wasted on this lunatic proposal, and to stop thousands of people being unnecessarily worried.
Expansion of existing airports has to be the most sensible and environmentally acceptable option.
And the most environmentally sound option is to drastically reduce the amount of flying people do.
Sherloco
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1:54pm Thu 29 Nov 12
marshman wrote:I think you are thinking of Red Indians, Native Americans.
I'm sure all those Indians have room for another chief so can't he just stay there?
Colin Chelmsford
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1:56pm Thu 29 Nov 12
Even if they do you need an area the half the size of Kent to be given over to wild life in order for ecological barriers about relocating the bird life to be overcome.
The idea of draining the esturay would prove to be particularly problematic as there are several major shipping ports in the area including a gas terminal which receives around 20% of the countries supply via ship and the new container terminal which is due to open soon.
Plus of course what would you do with all the water comming down the Thames. The Zuider Zee work damed a bay and pumped out the water. This would mean blocking the flow of one of the worlds great rivers.
This is simply the case of wasting huge sums of tax payers money on planning for a project that will never happen, with the sole purpose of being seen to support business calls for more aviation capacity without upsetting voters on the flightpath into Heathrow.
ninagal
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2:08pm Thu 29 Nov 12
THANKS
Sorry I hate the Dartford crossing !!!!!!!
H8 QEII
Nebs
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2:11pm Thu 29 Nov 12
Joe Wildman
says...
2:58pm Thu 29 Nov 12
He moans about aircraft disturbing the people who voted him in, but is happy for the people of South Essex, North Kent and now 20,000 jouseholds on his island to be forced to live with it.
Remember when he went out on a boat and a seamist rolled in, not goign to stop that happening, seabirds and jet engines do not mix.
Only a moron would support such a plan.
Olivia2847
says...
3:03pm Thu 29 Nov 12
Joe Wildman wrote:Goign - vous parlez Francaise mieux!
This plans proves just what a hypocritical moron this waste of space buffon is.
He moans about aircraft disturbing the people who voted him in, but is happy for the people of South Essex, North Kent and now 20,000 jouseholds on his island to be forced to live with it.
Remember when he went out on a boat and a seamist rolled in, not goign to stop that happening, seabirds and jet engines do not mix.
Only a moron would support such a plan.
LadyOr
says...
3:48pm Thu 29 Nov 12
Nebs wrote:We need to build around these new investments and an airport would be a great start.
Great idea Boris. About time we had some serious investment in the South East.
Essex and Kent would be linked by a bridge that we so badly need I agree about QE bridge...
LadyOr
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3:54pm Thu 29 Nov 12
Olivia2847 wrote:Boris too much of a Brit for this chap ?
Joe Wildman wrote:Goign - vous parlez Francaise mieux!
This plans proves just what a hypocritical moron this waste of space buffon is.
He moans about aircraft disturbing the people who voted him in, but is happy for the people of South Essex, North Kent and now 20,000 jouseholds on his island to be forced to live with it.
Remember when he went out on a boat and a seamist rolled in, not goign to stop that happening, seabirds and jet engines do not mix.
Only a moron would support such a plan.
firedog
says...
4:32pm Thu 29 Nov 12
Brunning999
says...
4:53pm Thu 29 Nov 12
Everything in comments aid on here has been overcome, it works it is efficient but I still don't like the idea.
Nebs
says...
6:18pm Thu 29 Nov 12
Joe Wildman wrote:For someone whose main concern seems to be aircraft disturbing people, you seem to have a completely different opinion about those wishing to claim compensation from Southend Airport.
This plans proves just what a hypocritical moron this waste of space buffon is.
He moans about aircraft disturbing the people who voted him in, but is happy for the people of South Essex, North Kent and now 20,000 jouseholds on his island to be forced to live with it.
Remember when he went out on a boat and a seamist rolled in, not goign to stop that happening, seabirds and jet engines do not mix.
Only a moron would support such a plan.
Joe Wildman
says...
7:11pm Thu 29 Nov 12
I don't give a fig about aircraft noise its this "man" who thinks he can dictate what happens out our way, he moans about aircraft flying over London but then wants to build a mini city right on top of an airport.
Dont you see that as double standards, he wants too appease his voters whilst pooing on Essex & Kent.
Only stupids will support this.
Nebs
says...
8:08pm Thu 29 Nov 12
Joe Wildman wrote:Of course you give a fig about aircraft noise. Otherwise why would you have said...
When did Bonkers Boris take over the Thames Estuary, have they moved the borders of London out to inclued in his remit?
I don't give a fig about aircraft noise its this "man" who thinks he can dictate what happens out our way, he moans about aircraft flying over London but then wants to build a mini city right on top of an airport.
Dont you see that as double standards, he wants too appease his voters whilst pooing on Essex & Kent.
Only stupids will support this.
He moans about aircraft disturbing the people who voted him in, but is happy for the people of South Essex, North Kent and now 20,000 households on his island to be forced to live with it.
pjlm
says...
11:46pm Thu 29 Nov 12
- What happens to the new container port
- How do connections from here fit in with new Crossrail development.
- Has this been carefully thought out as a venture this magnitude needs to be at the heart of a major plan and infrastructure for this area into London.
r6keith
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9:31am Fri 30 Nov 12
Shoebury_Cyclist wrote:Then who does have that right or authority to present plans to build an airport in the middle of the river? Could it be the port of London authority if built London side of the crowstone ?
exBillericayDicky wrote:Because he clearly thinks being Mayor of London equates to being Mayor of the entire country. He has no jurisdiction over Essex and Kent, and has no right to inflict his idiotic fantasies on the people who live here.Shoebury_Cyclist wrote: The loon needs locking up.Why? because he dares to think outside the norm?
r6keith
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9:40am Fri 30 Nov 12
LadyOr wrote:We are already linked to Kent by bridges and on the odd drawings I have seen of this hair brained scheme it did not include an extra crossing from Essex to Kent, The last thing you need near an airport is big bridges ! the plans I have seen the road in and out ran down the river from the London side.
Nebs wrote: Great idea Boris. About time we had some serious investment in the South East.We need to build around these new investments and an airport would be a great start. Essex and Kent would be linked by a bridge that we so badly need I agree about QE bridge...
Eric Whim
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10:15am Fri 30 Nov 12
AndiFreeman
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11:06am Fri 30 Nov 12
Olivia2847
says...
2:14pm Fri 30 Nov 12
Joe Wildman wrote:Sir - what ideas do Southend Council have? None! Because they are so inept that that can only see as far as the plate of biscuits at the Civic Centre. A cliff slip that was in place for years and now God forbid will not cause any more damage in all this foul weather. Lost opportunities going all the way back to the sixties and the Brent Walker plans for a marina that went to Brighton and all the pie in the sky so called plans they had since. Uproar that a local asset has taken off literally and son on. SBC will just stand by and make no comment and do not - rock on Boris! Dont even start on our local MP's - bungle and zippy!
When did Bonkers Boris take over the Thames Estuary, have they moved the borders of London out to inclued in his remit?
I don't give a fig about aircraft noise its this "man" who thinks he can dictate what happens out our way, he moans about aircraft flying over London but then wants to build a mini city right on top of an airport.
Dont you see that as double standards, he wants too appease his voters whilst pooing on Essex & Kent.
Only stupids will support this.
Louisajo
says...
2:44pm Fri 30 Nov 12
Boris knows he will get huge support from people who live over that way as they just can't take any more.
The glass houses at Kew gardens are constantly having to be cleaned because of aviation dirt. Every thirty seconds around lovely Windsor a plane roars overhead. Those of you in support - be very careful what you wish for!
South East Essex is becoming more over crowded and uglier by the minute. Look at what happened to Slough and the surrounds of Heathrow - and at least that's not squashed onto a little wedge of land with limited access.
Essex is a beautiful county with a poor and undeserved reputation.it has good schools, good people, it's actually relatively unspoilt in the most part, it has a great coast line, it's a very important food producing region.
Don't let Boris steam roller into Essex and dump on Essex what no one else in the South East wants on their door step.
We Essex girls and boys matter and care about our environment and future just as much as those who live on the west side of London. Who wants employment and to live in a blighted area of concrete and noise - not many at all - and that's why Boris wants the airport well away from his constituents!
perini
says...
3:21pm Fri 30 Nov 12
r6keith wrote:FYI - PLA responsibility has moved to much further East from the Crowstone!!
Shoebury_Cyclist wrote:Then who does have that right or authority to present plans to build an airport in the middle of the river? Could it be the port of London authority if built London side of the crowstone ?exBillericayDicky wrote:Because he clearly thinks being Mayor of London equates to being Mayor of the entire country. He has no jurisdiction over Essex and Kent, and has no right to inflict his idiotic fantasies on the people who live here.Shoebury_Cyclist wrote: The loon needs locking up.Why? because he dares to think outside the norm?
Olivia2847
says...
2:18pm Sun 2 Dec 12
perini wrote:To where pray? Sir ......
r6keith wrote:FYI - PLA responsibility has moved to much further East from the Crowstone!!
Shoebury_Cyclist wrote:Then who does have that right or authority to present plans to build an airport in the middle of the river? Could it be the port of London authority if built London side of the crowstone ?exBillericayDicky wrote:Because he clearly thinks being Mayor of London equates to being Mayor of the entire country. He has no jurisdiction over Essex and Kent, and has no right to inflict his idiotic fantasies on the people who live here.Shoebury_Cyclist wrote: The loon needs locking up.Why? because he dares to think outside the norm?
Joe Wildman
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7:40pm Sun 2 Dec 12
Just thought I would share that with all of you.
Now off the the bar
Night night.
jayman
says...
9:34pm Sun 2 Dec 12
liseinga wrote:Bring it on!! more jobs more investment. I cant wait, BRING IT ON!!!!!!!........ oh. did i say 'bring it on'........yep!.....
Making plans for our area, what a cheek. He is NOT mayor of Southend, thankfully, so should not make plans for this area. OUT OF ORDER.
...oh good...... what else?.... oh yes.... no stopping it now!!! ect ect
rhowes
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4:21pm Mon 3 Dec 12
Olivia2847
says...
5:32pm Wed 5 Dec 12
rhowes wrote:Don't you mean beneath cement?
This idea is beneath comment!!!
Shoebury_Cyclist says...
8:44am Thu 29 Nov 12