The Davies Commission into the future of aviation has once again highlighted the environmental destruction an airport in the Thames Estuary would cause. In his report, Sir Howard favours new runways at existing airports with Heathrow ahead of Gatwick. But he has included a second-division level of a new airport on Kent's Hoo Peninsula in the Thames Estuary, which he acknowledges would be both expensive (up to £112 billion) and environmentally damaging.
The RSPB believes that further airport expansion will undermine efforts to reduce our climate impact in the UK and that further scrutiny of an option in the Thames Estuary will lead to it being ruled out completely. The tidal mudflats, saltmarsh and reedbeds that line the estuary are one of the most important wildlife habitats in Europe, home to a rich ecosystem that includes hundreds of thousands of threatened wintering birds. It is designated with the highest environmental protection available.
Sue Armstrong-Brown, RSPB Head of Policy, said: "Every time a spotlight is put on the Thames Estuary as a potential site for an airport it is revealed to be both an environmental disaster and economic lunacy. The more scrutiny put on this proposal the clearer it will be for all concerned that it is a non-starter. However, climate change remains the greatest long-term threat to wildlife. We believe that there should be no further airports in this country until the Government can demonstrate how they can be built and operated without busting our legally binding climate targets".
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