'Boris Island' plans get take off

Published by Ross Macmillan for 24dash.com in Local Government and also in Central Government, Communities

Controversial plans for a new airport in the Thames Estuary appear to have been given a boost, with the Government signalling that it's to hold a consultation on the matter.

Dubbed 'Boris Island' because of its backing from London Mayor Boris Johnson, the plans are designed to cope with the country's predicted increase in passengers.

The Government is said to want to explore all the options, following the scrapping of the third runway option at Heathrow.

The airport, which would be built partly on reclaimed land and could be on either an island or a peninsula, would provide a shot in the arm to the economy providing both new jobs and regeneration

Speaking to the BBC this morning, London Mayor Boris Johnson said: "The Government is increasingly interested in this idea."

He said George Osborne and David Cameron, in particular, understand the logic in doing something to supply flights to growth nations.

He added that a third runway at Heathrow was not feasible.

He said: "25% of people in Europe who suffer from aviation noise live near Heathrow. We have one of the worst problems. It's fundamentally in the wrong place. If we build a third runway we'll be entrenching that mistake. We're causing massive congestion in west London that's why I think the Government is absolutely right to start looking at a more imaginative solution."

He said he was confident of attracting private finance for the project and that one of the biggest challenges would be connecting the new airport to the rest of London.

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