The government seems to have ruled out a Silver-Boris airport in the new report out today, and incongruously come down in favour of a third runway at LHR:
New Runways For Gatwick And Heathrow Airports
But this recommendation is rather surprising, since the government had previously ruled out a third LHR runway as being politically unacceptable. So the report's recommendation is for a runway expansion that cannot and will not go ahead. Someone should have had a word with them, before they started.
They ruled out BHX and STN. Ruling out BHX is obvious, as it is a ridiculous airport pointing in completely the wrong direction, with even less room for expansion than LHR. But ruling out STN? Why?
However, Boris Johnson has ridiculed the report and come out strongly in favour of the Silver-Boris airport once more, saying:
Quote:
Expansion at Heathrow would "entrench a grievous planning error" and require the closure of the M25 for five years as the new runway was built.
Thames estuary airport plan not dead yet, Boris Johnson declares | Environment | theguardian.com
Contrary to expectations this new report has actually increased the likelihood that Silver-Boris will be built in the Thames Estruary. It has ruled out the only real competitor to Silver-Boris (STN) and recommended an expansion that cannot happen (LHR). The result of this impasse, is that the only viable option is Silver-Boris.
Was this their intention, one wonders? Like god, UK politics does work in mysterious ways at times.
Silver