MP Amess blasts Thames Estuary airport plan (From Echo)
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Southend West MP attacks Boris Johnson's Thames Estuary airport plan
6:50am Wednesday 15th February 2012 in Southend
David Amess
PLANS for an airport in the Thames Estuary have been dismissed as “absolutely barking mad” by Tory MP David Amess.
Mr Amess, MP for Southend West, was one of a handful of speakers at a public meeting in Leigh which discussed the idea of a new airport in the Thames.
The meeting, at Leigh Community Centre in Elm Road, was called by South East Essex Friends of the Earth under the No Estuary Airport Campaign banner.
Mr Amess told the meeting: “This proposal is absolutely barking mad. The suggestion we need an airport in the Thames Estuary is totally misjudged and totally inappropriate.
“We are looking at about £50billion and it’s suggested it will come from private money, but there is not that amount available for this scheme.”
About 70 residents were at the meeting which was aimed at drumming up support to fight proposals for a new international airport which could be just off the coast of Southend and Canvey.
Mr Amess said he has already registered his opposition with Prime Minister David Cameron.
Leigh fisherman Paul Gilson told the meeting: “This is my river.
“One of my problems is I am outspoken, but this is my river and I will do my best to protect it.”
He said if work went ahead, it would impact on fish stocks, lead to a rise in the water level and pose a danger to the explosive-laden shipwreck the SS Richard Montgomery, which lies off the Southend shoreline.
Peter Wexham, Southend Lib Dem councillor representing Leigh, said: The biggest loser would be the natural environment as it would present major problems to the habitat of small creatures in the estuary, the likes of cockles.”
Mr Wexham answered a question from a resident and said a new airport in the estuary would threaten the future of Southend Airport as the two could not operate together.
Other speakers included David Hedges, Essex area manager for the RSPB, who said marshland around the estuary was among the best in Europe for wildlife and it must be protected, and George Crozer, of the Friends of North Kent Marshes, who said the fight against an estuary airport had been ongoing since 1947.
Keith Taylor, Green MEP for South East England, also spoke about harmful emissions, noise and pollution.
The Government is set to launch a public consultation on the idea next month.
Comments(17)
The Cater Wood Creeper
says...
8:05am Wed 15 Feb 12
“absolutely barking mad”
he is speaking from personal experience...
Nebs
says...
8:10am Wed 15 Feb 12
Brunning999
says...
8:36am Wed 15 Feb 12
Just keep smiling, kissing babies and your ability to show you will never match up to much.
andy:)
says...
8:59am Wed 15 Feb 12
DannyK86
says...
10:13am Wed 15 Feb 12
Nebs
says...
12:20pm Wed 15 Feb 12
DannyK86 wrote:But then we don't get £50billion extra investment into the UK. The government look at the overall scheme of things, and if they think an estuary airport will be good for the UK then a few dissenting MP's and some local Nimby's aren't going to change their mind.
SE Essex Friends of the Earth... i.e. the return of Denis Walker and his one man campaign wagon again! At least this time though the anti argument is valid - capacity for this airport can be reached by building a 2nd runway at Gatwick and building HS2 to Birmingham and expanding there.
Why is the anti argument valid this time?
supporter1
says...
12:26pm Wed 15 Feb 12
Can councillors please explain ???
Also what about the migrating birds on Leigh marshes, I thought they were protected!!!!!
supporter1
says...
12:35pm Wed 15 Feb 12
It will be good for jobs, good for travel, a real international airport close enough to use
emcee
says...
3:00pm Wed 15 Feb 12
That aside, it will not be the "anti brigade" (all 70 odd of them it seems) that will stop any development in the Thames, it will be logistical, technical and financial restraints. These restraints would all be valid reasons not to build an airport there, unlike the ridiculous arguments often thrown about by environmentalists, NIMBYs and loony MPs.
If a new airport is to be built then somewhere in the Thames is probably the best place for it as there will be least impact on civilian habitation and the impact on wildlife will also be a lot less than people think. OK, so a second runway at Gatwick will ease the pressure for a short while but not far down the line we will need to look at capacity again. Four runways in the Thames will probably mean we will not need to look at the capacity issue for London for many tens of years afterwards. By which time who knows in what form air travel will be.
ronangel
says...
8:07pm Wed 15 Feb 12
If you agree please sign my e-petition
http://epetitions.di
rect.gov.uk/petition
s/13021
jayman
says...
8:44pm Wed 15 Feb 12
ronangel wrote:oh here we go. the SS Richard Montgomery is going to kill us all. I would love for the ships wreck to be removed just to shut people up every time someone wants to do anything with the estuary.. remove the bloody thing.
All this talk about airport is just hot ai,r until they find a way to remove or make safe the wreck of ss richard montgomery with 1400 tons of explosive aboard. Not a good idea to have it under or near a runway or anywhere for that matter!
If you agree please sign my e-petition
http://epetitions.di
rect.gov.uk/petition
s/13021
on another note
Amess hates the idea
therefore logic and common sense should support it..
ronangel
says...
8:54pm Wed 15 Feb 12
For more information on the dangers of the wreck have a look at
http://www.ssrichard
montgomery.com
( copy and paste url in to your browser)
Nebs
says...
9:36am Thu 16 Feb 12
ronangel wrote:The americans left it there, they should be responsible for removing it. Very quick to complain about an oil spill, not so quick to act when they spill tons of high explosive.
Thanks for your support, hopefully you will be signing my petition.
For more information on the dangers of the wreck have a look at
http://www.ssrichard
montgomery.com
( copy and paste url in to your browser)
The Cater Wood Creeper
says...
9:45am Thu 16 Feb 12
Nebs wrote:just ring up Obama and tell him you saw some blokes with beards and turbans eyeing it up, he'll send in the Navy Seals to sort it out....
ronangel wrote: Thanks for your support, hopefully you will be signing my petition. For more information on the dangers of the wreck have a look at http://www.ssrichard montgomery.com ( copy and paste url in to your browser)The americans left it there, they should be responsible for removing it. Very quick to complain about an oil spill, not so quick to act when they spill tons of high explosive.
Nebs
says...
1:00pm Thu 16 Feb 12
The Cater Wood Creeper wrote:You'd have to tell him there was oil in the estuary before he would send anyone in.
Nebs wrote:just ring up Obama and tell him you saw some blokes with beards and turbans eyeing it up, he'll send in the Navy Seals to sort it out....
ronangel wrote: Thanks for your support, hopefully you will be signing my petition. For more information on the dangers of the wreck have a look at http://www.ssrichard montgomery.com ( copy and paste url in to your browser)The americans left it there, they should be responsible for removing it. Very quick to complain about an oil spill, not so quick to act when they spill tons of high explosive.
jolllyboy
says...
5:58pm Thu 16 Feb 12
westcliff willi says...
7:35am Wed 15 Feb 12