Plans for a Thames Estuary Airport

BTO ecologists have recently reported on controversial proposals to build an airport on the Isle of Grain in the Thames Estuary. The study shows that this development would cause significant loss of coastal habitat within two areas that are protected under European law for their internationally important waterbird populations.

The proposal would cause a significant loss of coastal wetland habitat, largely within the Thames Estuary and Marshes Special Protection Area (SPA), but also affecting the Medway Estuary and Marshes SPA. These areas as already stated are protected under international law for their internationally important bird populations; together they support more than 140,000 waterbirds.

Development at these sites would have significant negative impacts on the bird populations that live there. This would occur through:

1. habitat loss within the footprint of the airport.
2. disturbance or habitat change affecting other areas near the airport.

Over 21,000 waterbirds currently use the area proposed for development. This represents around 25% of the current total bird population on the two affected SPAs and 37% of the current bird population on the Thames Estuary and Marshes SPA.

One can only hope that this alarming proposal does not fly....