Boris Island sunk

[John Short]

The Airports Commission has today (2 September 2014) announced its decision not to add the inner Thames estuary airport proposal to its shortlist of options for providing new airport capacity by 2030.

Following detailed further study into the feasibility of an inner Thames estuary airport the commission has concluded that the proposal has substantial disadvantages that collectively outweigh its potential benefits.

Airports Commission Chair Sir Howard Davies said:

“
We are not persuaded that a very large airport in the Thames estuary is the right answer to London’s and the UK’s connectivity needs.
“
While we recognise the need for a hub airport, we believe this should be a part of an effective system of competing airports to meet the needs of a widely spread and diverse market like London’s.
“
There are serious doubts about the delivery and operation of a very large hub airport in the estuary. The economic disruption would be huge and there are environmental hurdles which it may prove impossible, or very time-consuming to surmount. Even the least ambitious version of the scheme would cost £70 to £90 billion with much greater public expenditure involved than in other options – probably some £30 to £60 billion in total.
“
There will be those who argue that the commission lacks ambition and imagination. We are ambitious for the right solution. The need for additional capacity is urgent. We need to focus on solutions which are deliverable, affordable, and set the right balance for the future of aviation in the UK.”
 
The commission received and developed a substantial body of evidence that it considered very carefully over a number of months before reaching this decision.

Alongside today’s announcement the commission has published a paper in which it sets out in more detail the reasoning behind its decision.

The commission will now continue its appraisal of the 3 shortlisted proposals for additional capacity and will publish the appraisal for public consultation in the autumn.

[petagny]

Boris Island has white elephant written all over it, but I fear that the Heathrow lobby is winning over the Commission and that more acceptable alternatives from an environmental perspective - second runway at Gatwick and making better use of capacity at Stansted - will be rejected. And what about expanding the capacities of Manchester, Birmingham or Leeds/Bradford? Not in the Commission's remit of course.

The profits of BAA and the wider economic good are not necessarily the same thing!

[John Short]

The next stage:

The Airports Commission is seeking your views on 3 options for a new runway in the south east of England, and on its assessments of these options. In particular, the commission wishes to:
•test the evidence base it has assembled
•understand stakeholders’ views as to the accuracy, relevance and breadth of the assessments it has undertaken
•seek views on the potential conclusions that might be drawn from them

We also welcome evidence and ideas about improving the short-listed options (eg through mitigation measures to address specific impacts).

The consultation consists of a large number of documents. This page features the commission’s overarching consultation document, a sustainability assessment and business case for each of the 3 schemes. Detailed technical reports which underpin the commission’s analysis have also been published, along with an index to help you navigate them.

Work submitted to the commission by the 3 scheme promoters; Gatwick Airport Limited, Heathrow Airport Limited and Heathrow Hub Limited has also been published.

The consultation document is available in Braille, large print or in a different language on request. All of the commission’s documents relating to this consultation can be made available on CD-ROM for respondents who do not have access to a good internet connection. Please email or write to our consultation response address with your request.

If you are unsure how to respond, you may leave a message at 0800 023 8128. This is an unmanned telephone line. Only technical queries relating to how to respond to the consultation will be returned.
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