Comments on: Help us ground this scheme

By: Catharina

Catharina — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:29:05 +0000

Please do not build this stupid idea of an air port. It will cost billions of pounds for something we do not actually need. Flight company’s are having to reduce prices to get people to fly so why create more airports for even more of a struggle to persuade people to fly. You also have the wildlife that would be killed and the amazing history of grain lost forever. We will not be the only ones effected what about everyone in the surrounding areas that would have plains flying over head all day every day. Why not open another run way in the existing airports and allow them to expand when they want to instead of putting a whole new lot of people out of jobs and homes here.

By: Kevin Thomas

Kevin Thomas — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:51:55 +0000

Hi,

Barmy, should this proposed airport be given the go ahead. Many comments have been made against this proposal but I wish also to add, please excuse me if has already been mentioned, that the airspace is already near to peak capacity. The holding patterns and stacking of flights has been described by experts as an accident ready to happen on existing air traffic. Madness.

Anyway, most construction jobs up until the airports completion will not come from local workforce but brought in from elsewhere and a vast majority of jobs at the airport on its completion will go to non locals.

Should this go ahead, then as part of the agreement Boris and his residence should be relocated a mile from the airport right under the flightpath !!!!!!!!!!

By: Melinda Godmon

Melinda Godmon — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:11:57 +0000

I wonder where Boris lives,some Kensington pad i expect its nowhere near Kent,This is definately something we dont need and should all make a stand against.

By: Brian Stitson

Brian Stitson — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 10:53:54 +0000

The building of a new International Airport in the Thames Estuary would destroy a large area of natural habitat, involve a huge movement of of workers and would never be financially viable.

By: Roy Weekes

Roy Weekes — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:51:48 +0000

I agree with the previous comments,if we are trying to stop polution,we need less planes in the air not more.

By: gary brandon

gary brandon — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 14:38:14 +0000

dear boris

Not only is this” pie in the sky “idea of a new airport going to be devastating to the wonderful wildlife in the surrounding areas , it is also in my mind a very dangerous place to have low flying planes due to the area being dotted with power stations that store tons of refrigerated gas which to my mind is dangerous enough due to the fact that the containers were welded together by cheaper foreign workers and do indeed freeze back on occasions due to leaks .Coupled with this obvious danger we also have a working dock at sheerness which would cause other hazards for example cranes .Its also my view that England doesnt need another airport as the government has already stated that it will be cutting immigration considerable in the coming years .Another issue is indeed the mess caused not only the construction of such a large project but also the mess and nuisance any airport attracts not to mention problems with illigal immigration . im affraid its a no from me and lots like me who dont carry your undoubting blind faith which is probably due to the fact that you dont live anywhere near the planned site ..

By: Brian Roalf

Brian Roalf — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 11:00:45 +0000

I agree with Justine, And as a local, (Sittingbourne,) with the threat of bird strike and the “Montgomery” I can only assume Boris is in it for the publicity and Lord Foster for the money. Think of the Thames Footbridge, a resounding success, eventually.

By: Helen Cameron

Helen Cameron — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:13:37 +0000

Reasons to stop estuary airport
1. Proximity to Grain oil refinery
2. SS Richard Montgomery lies in estuary with 1400 tons of unexploded munitions on board which is destabilising.
3. Listed buildings Don’t they count for anything anymore? 2 Grade I and 7 Grade II in Allhallows and Isle of Grain.
4. Migrating bird sanctuary –You can’t just ask them to move somewhere else
5. Noise pollution on the whole area – it will become unbearable to live there and house values will drop
6. Air pollution – this will become much worse which will make life difficult for asthma sufferers and others with breathing problems
7. Under- utilisation of Manston Airport which is already in existence
8. The cost – £50,000,000,000 (£50 billion) is the conservative estimate. Today nothing ever comes in on budget and on time so the final cost will probably be much more.. At a time when the government is trying to curb public spending not one single penny of government money (i.e. our taxes) should be spent on this, only private money should be considered for this sort of project.
Need I add any more?

By: michael ellison

michael ellison — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 01:58:43 +0000

I cannot believe that these awful proposals have been resurrected. A reminder for those keen to push this idea some of the reasons as to why it was thrown out previously.
1- The greater Thames estuary (inc Medway & Swale estuaries) is a year round home for internationally important numbers of waterbirds including over 250,000 wintering waterfowl (figs from British Trust for Ornithology). Hence it is internationally recognised as being important for wildlife via its IBA (Important Bird Area) & RAMSAR (listing wetlands of international importance) citings. This area has both UK & EU laws that are supposed to offer the highest levels of protection available.
2- Airstrike – Birds & planes don’t mix!
3- Cost- the estimated costs of the last option doubled within a year & no-one was prepared to come up with the money. And this didn’t take account of the additional local infrastructure costs required
4- The destruction of the one remaining truly rural part of Medway, which is a valuable haven for the people of Medway from the pressures of urban living
5- The location of the airport -stuck down in the SE of the country on the wrong side of London from the bulk of the UK population.
Do Boris Johnson, Norman Foster et al not know the above? Forgotten the above? Or for reasons best known to themselves decided to abandon logic altogether?

By: Carol Driver

Carol Driver — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:28:53 +0000

In a time when we should be looking after our environment, and every day being told to be “greener” why do we need to build a new airport, especially in an area where there is a Gas Terminal, explosives in the estuary and a RSPB nature reserve?
Why not use existing airports? you have Manston that has the longest runway in the country why can we not develope that?
Why do we always feel the need to dig up land and concrete over it?
Kent is the Garden of England but for just how much longer???