Boris backs three airports

The Mayor’s proposal for a new hub airport at Stansted

• The site would be on agricultural land to the northeast of the existing airport. The current terminal building and runway could be retained. This would mean existing operations could continue during the construction of a new hub


• It would be compatible with Government objectives to deliver thousands of jobs and growth across London, Essex, and the Cambridge to Peterborough business corridor. Investment in infrastructure could also support much-needed housing growth


• The number of people affected by noise could be less than five per cent of those who would be affected by an airport of a similar size at Heathrow


• A new high-speed rail line could transport passengers from central London to the airport in less than half an hour, and the airport could be served by an extension to the proposed Crossrail 2 scheme. Enhancements to the M25 and M11 would be necessary


• The hub could also be connected by the proposed route of the High Speed 2 (HS2) line allowing through-services from the Midlands and Northern England as well as to the Old Oak Common transport hub in west London


• It could be quicker to get to than Heathrow for a number of key locations including important London centres and areas of growth and regeneration such as Canary Wharf and the Lea Valley, as well as other major cities across the UK.

---

The Mayor’s proposal for a new hub airport in the inner Thames Estuary

• It would be located on agricultural land next to the Thames Estuary in the northeast corner of the Isle of Grain. Some of the site would be on reclaimed land


• It would be compatible with Government objectives to deliver thousands of jobs and growth across London, Essex and Kent. Investment in infrastructure could also support much-needed housing growth


• The number of people affected by noise could be less than five per cent of those who would be affected by an airport of a similar size at Heathrow


• A new high-speed rail line could transport passengers from central London to the airport in less than half an hour and the airport could be served by an extension to Crossrail from Abbey Wood. A link to the high-speed rail line to northern Europe would also be possible


• Enhancements to the M25 would be necessary, but the highway connections could be compatible with the Government’s current aspirations for a new lower Thames crossing


• It could also be connected by the proposed HS2 route, allowing through-services from the Midlands and northern England as well as to the Old Oak Common transport hub in west London


• It could be quicker to get to than Heathrow for a number of vital locations, including important London centres and areas of growth and regeneration such as Canary Wharf and Stratford, as well as other major cities across the country


• There would be impacts on a number of habitats and designated areas, but there is a precedent for successful mitigation and provision of alternative habitats.

---

The Mayor’s proposal for a new hub airport in the outer Thames Estuary

• It would be built on a man-made island in a shallow part of the Thames Estuary


• It would be compatible with Government objectives to deliver thousands of jobs and growth across London, Essex and Kent. Investment in infrastructure could also support much-needed housing growth


• Building an airport in this location would mean that no areas of population would be affected by excessive noise. This is the only option that would have a zero-noise footprint


• A new high-speed rail line could transport passengers from central London to the airport in just over half an hour, and the airport could be served by an extension to the Crossrail line. A link to the highspeed rail line to northern Europe would also be possible


• Enhancements to the M25 would be necessary, but the highway connections could be compatible with the Government’s current aspirations for a new lower Thames crossing


• It could also be connected to the proposed HS2 route, allowing through-services from the Midlands and northern England as well as to the Old Oak Common transport hub in west London


• Journey times from central London would be similar to those for Heathrow and quicker for a number of key locations in east London, including important growth and regeneration centres such as Canary Wharf and Stratford, as well as other major cities across the UK


• It presents a significant biodiversity and habitats challenge, but there is a precedent for successful mitigation and provision of alternative habitats.