Thames Hub airport plan

A proposal has been formally submitted to the UK government’s Airports Commission for a new four runway airport hub on the Isle of Grain in the UK’s Thames Estuary.

The airport proposal sees it being sited strategically close to the South East’s major ports, including DP World’s Thames Gateway, which should enable the successful economic integration of rail, sea and air freight.

Thames Hub’s location near to the ports is geared towards giving British industry a vital strategic advantage in terms of freight distribution.

And it should help to make Britain better connected in terms of its infrastructure too. By connecting the airport to High Speed 1, 2 and Crossrail services, the aim is to open up freight routes all across the UK and then into Europe.

The plan’s architect Foster + Partners says that under current legislation, the planning process is identical to the proposal for the third runway at Heathrow and that the Thames Hub Airport could open within 16 years.

Port Strategy approached DP World for their views on the plan but the operator expressed that it has no comment to make on the subject at this time.

There is still plenty of debate as to whether the Thames Estuary is the right site for the UK's new airport hub. The other side of the fence argues that Heathrow or Stansted are more viable options for business, passengers and jobs.

While Mr Johnson has not completely ditched the idea of “Boris island”, he now believes the proposals drawn up by Lord Foster for a four-runway hub on the mainland have the “greatest potential”. Significantly, he has also suggested making Stansted a four-runway airport as an alternative.

Mr Johnson will unveil his proposals to the Davies Commission on airport capacity later this week.

His support for the Isle of Grain proposals has been triggered in part by the £1.5bn London Gateway Port project, due to open later this year.

According to Daniel Moylan, the mayor’s transport spokesman, the port and the Foster plan could create a huge transport and passenger hub in one place.

With London falling behind Paris, Amsterdam and Frankfurt, there is mounting pressure on the Government to act to preserve the capital’s status as a European airport hub.

Any of the three schemes, Mr Johnson and his advisers believe, would enable London to regain its primacy as an aviation destination.

Any plans to shift Britain’s hub airport to the east of London would lead to the closure of Heathrow. Mr Moylan dismissed suggestions it would devastate the west London economy.

Boris Johnson’s support for a Thames Estuary airport has cooled, with London’s mayor now throwing his weight behind plans to site it on the Isle of Grain, in north Kent. I wonder where he could find the land for that ??????