Following the interim report of the Davies Commission Thurrock MP Jackie Doyle-Price has said it is time to kill off the Boris Island proposal once and for all.
The Davies commission has concluded that there is a need for more runways and has shortlisted options at Gatwick and Heathrow. However the door has been left open for further consideration of the Thames Estuary hub airport being advocated by Boris Johnson.
Speaking in the House, Jackie asserted that Heathrow is and, should remain the UK’s hub and argued that the ports infrastructure on the Thames makes any airport in the Thames Estuary unfeasible. She told the Commons,
The Mayor of London claims that Heathrow is a planning error. It is not; it is our hub airport. As my right hon. Friend is well aware, the Thames estuary is home to some significant ports infrastructure. Is it not to be hoped that the Davies commission rules out, once and for all, a Thames estuary airport, particularly as we already have an excellent airport at Southend?
In response Patrick McLoughlin said he would took the issues very seriously.
Jackie said, “I am staggered that this option continues to merit any consideration. It is complete pie in the sky. Doing anything on the Thames will impact its flow and disturb the shipping lanes which could cause significant costs to business. It should be remembered that this is a working river. It is not as Boris seems to think the middle of nowhere where an airport wont disturb anyone. I cannot believe the amount of hot air being generated by such a half-baked proposal. I can only imagine it is still on the table in order to save Boris’s face. Certainly, Howard Davies appeared to have little enthusiasm for it, either in the report or in his discussions.”