Thames estuary airport talk to London Assembly called off

A TALK to London Assembly members by leading civil engineer Douglas Oakervee on the feasibility of building an airport out in the Thames Estuary has been called off. He is no longer attending the Assembly’s environment committee meeting on March 11 to discuss Boris Johnson’s controversial idea

By Mike Brooke

A TALK to London Assembly members by leading civil engineer Douglas Oakervee on the feasibility of building an airport out in the Thames Estuary has been called off.

He has pulled out and is no longer attending the Assembly’s environment committee meeting on March 11 to discuss Boris Johnson’s controversial idea for an artificial island off Whitsable in Kent with runways linked to the shore.

The Environment Committee is using the meeting instead to examine the Mayor’s Climate Change energy strategy.

A letter from Mr Oakervee’s office says he will be overseas on business.

There are no plans to reschedule the session, although the committee may consider a talk on the idea of a floating’ airport in future “if developments merit it.”

The cancellation follows Opposition members protesting that an estuary airport would cause environmental damage and destroy coastal wildlife areas.

Some even called for the funding for the feasibility study, which Boris pushed through in his annual budget last month on a minority vote, to pay for legal costs of East London campaigners fighting City Airport’s expansion.

The campaigners need funds for a judicial review they have secured looking into Newham Council’s decision last year giving the green light to flights being doubled without consulting neighbouring authorities affected.