Johnson keen to push on with ‘Boris Island’ scheme
Thames Estuary airport, despite dismissing the scheme only last month.
His plans were revealed in a leaked document shown to the BBC in which he said
construction of the £40 billion floating airport was the "bravest" project the
Greater London Authority (GLA) could do.
A spokesman for Mr Johnson said he could not comment on the document, but confirmed
the Mayor believed an estuary airport would be valuable for London.
Just last month, eccentric Mr Johnson told the GLA transport committee he had
no aspirations to construct ‘Boris Island’ off the coast of north Kent.
A spokesman said: "There is a huge amount of work to be done before an estuary
airport could even begin to go through the planning process.
"Mr Johnson asked for an initial feasibility study and has followed the report’s
recommendation to set up a Thames Estuary Steering Group.
"He believes the complex and critical decisions on Britain’s aviation future
require mature exploration of every possible option and the steering group’s research
will be invaluable when deciding if a new airport in the estuary could meet our
future needs."
It is believed oil-rich Gulf states have expressed interest in bankrolling the
£40 billion scheme – and interest in the controversial project has also been expressed
by the Chinese.
But Kent County Council leader Paul Carter dismissed the latest comments from
Mr Johnson as "nonsense."
He said: "It’s just inconsistent messages coming from the Greater London Authority.
"There is no chance of it ever being built, so all we can do is make sure the
unsuitable idea remains sunk."
Medway Council, KCC and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds have teamed
up to fight against the airport scheme on the grounds that it would have a massive
impact on the area and environment.
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