The Tory London mayor, Boris Johnson, has called for a new airport in North Kent after concluding that Heathrow was 'a planning error.' The mayor is focused on the construction of a island airport and has appointed senior engineers and planners to examine the project. A policy soundly rejected by the Labour Government and local campaigners, who have opposed ambitions for airports in the region for the last decade.

The consideration of an airport in North Kent is especially galling for campaigners. Local Tory councillors, stood for local elections in 2001 on the express promise that Tories would never consider an airport. Boris Johnson has shown that their promises were a joke. Hundreds of thousands of pounds of London Tax Payers money is looking into the feasibility of an airport in North Kent. This money is being spent with an ambition for a major international airport in the Estuary, which will increase pollution and noise in Medway, as well as threaten local bird habitats in North Kent.

A Natural habitat

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reacted with horror to the proposals.The RSPB said the estuary, including the RSPB Cliffe Pools reserve in Kent, is one of Europes most important sites for wild birds and is protected by European and UK law.

The RSPB said more than 200,000 birds use the Thames Estuary in winter including species whose numbers have dropped steeply elsewhere.It said their presence would pose a serious risk of bird strike, a threat that would be impossible to avert.

Tory plans for Estuary Airport

Cllr Teresa Murray, the Labour candidate for Rochester & Strood, has dismissed the Tory proposal stating that;

"It is not often that people take Boris seriously, but his plans to resurrect an airport like that proposed at Cliffe are no joke to residents across Rochester & Strood and particular in Cliffe and the Peninsula, who have campaigned with Bob Marshall-Andrews and other local Labour MPs against the plan. We already have an airport in Kent at Manston, which has a million passenger movements per year. Clearly an existing airport site is a better idea then a tory plot to open an island airport in the middle of an estuary with the busiest shipping lanes and with a potential risk of flooding."

"I have long been warning that as the most senior Tory in the country, Boris Johnson presents a real threat to Medway with his plans for a floating airport. We know what a devastating effect this would have on Medway, both on the areas infrastructure, and environmentally, and therefore the Council must ensure this proposal goes no further”

    

Medway Tories vote against residents 'No Airport' campaign

All political parties in Medway are opposed to the Estuary Airport. However, despite widespread press releases, local Tories remain unwilling to campaign vigorously againt Boris Johnson. The Conservatives tabled a motion, supported by Labour and the Liberal Democrats opposing and condemning the airport proposal; however the motion was at least a year too late and had no teeth. It was a welcome statement but was essientially one of inaction; a tory smokescreen where local residents will see nothing as a result. No campaign and no action.

The Labour Group, supported by significant numbers of Cliffe residents and campaigners, submitted an amendment to council proposed by Teresa Murray. The proposition demanded that local Tories stop sitting on the fence, and start working for residents in pushing David Cameron vocally and vigorously to rein in Boris Johnson, and put an end to his estuary airport through campaigning and working with the residents of Medway. The amendment required a concerted and public visual effort by Conservative Councillors to stop the airport proposal from gaining wings.

The Conservative council rejected this amendment and watered down all attempts by local residents in Cliffe, Hoo, Rochester and Strood to push Boris Johnson to drop this rediculous proposal. The Conservative administration snubbed residents across Medway, by citing that Boris had no firm proposals for the Airport. This despite months of press coverage, newspaper articles and comments by the Tory mayor's office that this is a serious proposal being funded and supported by London tax payers.

Medway Tories waited a whole year to act on this issue and have been caught on the wrong side of Medway resident opinion. There attempt to placate residents concerns have given the green light for Boris to walk all over residents concerns and move forward with the Tory proposal. Teresa Murray will be working with residents across Medway to fight against the Tory proposals and highlight Tory inaction against this dangerous threat to our local environment.

National Press Coverage

SUNDAY TIMES - "Boris Johnson airs plan for Heathrow-on-sea"

YOUR MEDWAY NEWS - "Boris to push ahead with estuary airport plan"