Battle plan to fight estuary airport being drawn up

8:00am Thursday 31st January 2013 in Echo News By David Trayner

CGI image of a floating Thames estuary airport, as proposed by architectural firm Gensler CGI image of a floating Thames estuary airport, as proposed by architectural firm Gensler

AN ESTUARY airport could lead to the closure of Southend Airport, flooding in south Essex and the biggest ever non-nuclear explosion, Southend Council has warned.

The council has set out its strong opposition to proposals for an airport in the Thames Estuary in an eight-page report to go before councillors today, Thursday, January 31.

The authority set out its objections in a dossier to be considered as part of a Government commission into airport capacity in the South East, and drawing up a battle plan to fight it as strongly as possible.

Author Paul Mathieson, manager of the strategic transport and planning policy group at the council, said: “The introduction of a Thames Estuary airport could negatively impact upon our ability to deliver a prosperous Southend, if (Southend) airport is affected and a clean Southend with minimal impact on the natural environment.

“A robust response to the airport commission will contribute towards safeguarding those areas which could otherwise be compromised by the proposed developments.”

The report identifies five key areas that an estuary airport could harm - the environment and noise, a rise in sea levels and the impact on tides, safety risks, the affordability of the proposals, and the impact on economic development.

Comments(16)

fruitcakegsi says...
9:01am Thu 31 Jan 13

There is a very strong opposition to Boris Island in Essex. Roads and trains are already max capacity. Well done Southend Council for taking some action. Would be nice to see Castle Point B.C. doing the same.
They keep building all this disjointed architecture. Wouldn't it be a smarter idea to build the airport somewhere on the high speed rail link?

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perini says...
9:03am Thu 31 Jan 13

fruitcakegsi wrote:
There is a very strong opposition to Boris Island in Essex. Roads and trains are already max capacity. Well done Southend Council for taking some action. Would be nice to see Castle Point B.C. doing the same. They keep building all this disjointed architecture. Wouldn't it be a smarter idea to build the airport somewhere on the high speed rail link?
Fruits - that's joined up thinking which Boris and Co are incapable of!

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leighsteve says...
9:28am Thu 31 Jan 13

About time someone realised the danger of the SS Montgomery! http://en.wikipedia.
org/wiki/SS_Richard_
Montgomery

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jayman says...
9:31am Thu 31 Jan 13

we are about to build a high speed railway and it will take 20 years to complete and it will cost tens of billions to construct.

Given the staggering inability to get things done I doubt such a large infrastructure asset will ever be sanctioned.

Not because of technological constraints but because we have become so utterly useless at building assets for the future in an efficient and timely manor.

looks like we will be be using knackered old WW2 era sites with retrofit runways and facilities while we use Victorian era rail lines to get there. well we can at least look forward to travelling on some new infrastructure in twenty years...?

smile and wave everyone, the rest of the world is laughing..

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Nebs says...
9:36am Thu 31 Jan 13

I like the idea of an estuary airport, as long as it has access from both north and south of the river. Then we get a river crossing and loads of jobs, as well as worldwide destinations on our doorstep.
A cheaper idea would be to extend the runway of Southend Airport to the north east, re-route the railway line, add another couple of runways, and make it a full international airport.

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GentleGiant says...
9:46am Thu 31 Jan 13

Sadly this will never happen - nor will the crossing over the Thames to extend the A130 south over it.

Both schemes would have been great for both Essex and Kent.

We take far to long in this country to build anything, thanks to all the tree huggers and their supporters.

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Cosmo Spring says...
10:20am Thu 31 Jan 13

Why don't they concrete over Canvey Island and have the airport there.

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Shoebury_Cyclist says...
10:48am Thu 31 Jan 13

jayman wrote:
we are about to build a high speed railway and it will take 20 years to complete and it will cost tens of billions to construct.

Given the staggering inability to get things done I doubt such a large infrastructure asset will ever be sanctioned.

Not because of technological constraints but because we have become so utterly useless at building assets for the future in an efficient and timely manor.

looks like we will be be using knackered old WW2 era sites with retrofit runways and facilities while we use Victorian era rail lines to get there. well we can at least look forward to travelling on some new infrastructure in twenty years...?

smile and wave everyone, the rest of the world is laughing..
HS2 is scheduled for completion by 2033. However construction will not begin until the commission on airport capacity has completed its report. In other words it's never going to happen.

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andyh says...
11:33am Thu 31 Jan 13

If the Richard Montgomery were to blow it would be a massive explosion - but nowhere near the biggest ever non-nuclear: see "List of the largest artificial non-nuclear explosions" on wikipedia.
It might be best to deliberately blow it (probably using a couple of steerable torpedoes) at a planned state of the tide with suitable exclusion area. There might be minor damage in Southend and Sheerness but it is unlikely to be serious if proper preparations are made.

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John T Pharro says...
11:41am Thu 31 Jan 13

perini wrote:
fruitcakegsi wrote:
There is a very strong opposition to Boris Island in Essex. Roads and trains are already max capacity. Well done Southend Council for taking some action. Would be nice to see Castle Point B.C. doing the same. They keep building all this disjointed architecture. Wouldn't it be a smarter idea to build the airport somewhere on the high speed rail link?
Fruits - that's joined up thinking which Boris and Co are incapable of!
Absolutely right for Castle Point to object. It was a shame at yesterday's question time our MP Rt Hon Rebecca Harris wasted a golden opportunity to raise it in Parliament but asked a nebulous question to do with the number of students at university. Not exactly a burning local issue.

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Nebs says...
1:07pm Thu 31 Jan 13

John T Pharro wrote:
perini wrote:
fruitcakegsi wrote:
There is a very strong opposition to Boris Island in Essex. Roads and trains are already max capacity. Well done Southend Council for taking some action. Would be nice to see Castle Point B.C. doing the same. They keep building all this disjointed architecture. Wouldn't it be a smarter idea to build the airport somewhere on the high speed rail link?
Fruits - that's joined up thinking which Boris and Co are incapable of!
Absolutely right for Castle Point to object. It was a shame at yesterday's question time our MP Rt Hon Rebecca Harris wasted a golden opportunity to raise it in Parliament but asked a nebulous question to do with the number of students at university. Not exactly a burning local issue.
They were going to call it Prime Ministers Answers, but counsel advised that they would be in breach of the trade descriptions act.

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LadyOr says...
3:58pm Thu 31 Jan 13

Southend Airport is good for Essex but has no access to the Channel tunnel railway, due to the fact there is no CROSSING ESSEX - KENT !!!

Reports from locals to Southend airport say that property prices have fallen since the airport reopened.

The fares are more expensive then at the larger airports too.

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maureen says...
4:02pm Thu 31 Jan 13

Cosmo Spring wrote:
Why don't they concrete over Canvey Island and have the airport there.
sorry residents of canvey but i agree, you will get compensation, move out of a flood plain, and have less problems transport, and vandalism and getting off the island.

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jolllyboy says...
4:27pm Thu 31 Jan 13

It will never happen. not wanted, not needed there, too dangerous, waste of energy even thinking about it.

What is needed is a route to kent without using the dartford crossing, now that would benefit everyone. The owners of the dartford crossing will not even spend their huge profits on doing the freeflow payment system.

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Carnabackable says...
8:15pm Thu 31 Jan 13

NO NO NO NO NO, CANVEY IS THE PLACE FOR A NEW AIRPORT, IN THE WESTERN MARSH LANDS

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I love Essex says...
9:10pm Thu 31 Jan 13

I really do fail to see why those, if you like, 'for' Southend Airport are so against this. I have read so many posts supporting all developments that will bring business/jobs to the area... Modernise our area / concrete it to bring in tourists... How great seeing planes in the air are etc... I have not and will not claim compo - as I don't agree with the argument. Although I am quite peeved with the noise - more so only in summer time when windows are open...But - as I already have the belly of a plane flying over...what difference would another make? I do not mean to be sarcastic or cause a 'to do' on here, but am simply asking...?

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