Calls On Mayor To "Stop Wasting Tax Payers' Money" On Thames Estuary Airport

Unite, the largest labor union in the United Kingdom, has called on London mayor Boris Johnson to "stop wasting tax payers' money on consultants looking at plans to create a new airport on an artificially created island in the Thames estuary."

The union believes the plans for the new airport are flawed, and could seriously jeopardise the local economy around West London, along with thousands of Heathrow jobs. Unite notes there have been three major studies into the feasibility of building an airport in the Thames estuary, the latest of which was tossed out by the government in 2003 as too expensive.

"The Mayor's proposal suggests that Heathrow should close in favour of this new facility," said Unite National Officer Brian Boyd. "There are 172,000 jobs at Heathrow which has two runways. Does the Mayor wish to explain to the Heathrow workers what effect closure will have on their community and where the workforce for a four runway airport is going to come from?"

Unite says there are many reasons why the Thames estuary airport should not be built. For one, the area is a bird sanctuary... "raising the worrying issue of bird strikes causing aircraft engines and windscreens to fail."

The union also takes Johnson to task for his proposal to build the airport on an artificial island composed of landfill waste. "The Thames is not the best place to site a man made island, due to tidal and storm surges which can increase sea level by several metres," the union says, adding "The infrastructure needed to support the Thames estuary airport would be too difficult to provide."

As an example of what can go wrong with airports located on man made islands, Unite points to Japan's Kansai airport. "At Kansai the airport sank over 13 metres into the sea after it was opened 14 years ago and despite millions being spent on shoring it up it is still an economic disaster."

Placing an airport on the Thames would also lead to increased noise complaints from a number of nearby resort areas, the union asserts.

Instead of an entirely new airport, Unite says it supports improvements to Heathrow (shown at right), including the building of a third runway. "The expansion of the existing facilities at Heathrow far out weighs the impracticalities of a new airport sited on the Thames estuary. Unite supports improved transport infrastructure throughout the UK, and we see greater airport capacity coupled with advanced rail links as essential in making the UK a country that people want to travel to, and within."

FMI: www.amicustheunion.org/, www.teaco.co.uk/