Thames Estuary airport

[BrilloPad]

UK is too London centric.
Why not build a new (or extend an existing) airport elsewhere. As suggested on the new HS2 link. Require (or agree some deal) airlines using it to include train fairs for ongoing destinations in ticketing.

It would be better to move parliament, government and royalty out first. I suggest somewhere in Lancashire where land is cheap.

[eek]

It would be better to move parliament, government and royalty out first. I suggest somewhere in Lancashire where land is cheap.

It wouldn't work just look at Istanbul vs Ankara.

[doodab]

Then I would hope London is paying for it.
With HS2 it would be just as quick into London as from the proposed estuary airport so why not build it where it benefits other parts of the country.

How will it benefit other parts of the country, which already have all the airport capacity they require? Build it elsewhere and it will be a white elephant.

[Troll]

We've done this before but still cannot see this happening until the SS Richard Montgomery issue is resolved

In 1944 the Richard Montgomery, a vessel some 440 feet long and weighing 7,176 tons, manned with a crew of 50, plus 30 gunners, sailed from Philadelphia with a cargo of 6000 (six thousand) tons of munitions for the US Air Force. This cargo included;

13,064 general purpose 250lb bombs
9,022 cases of fragmenting bombs
7,739 semi-armour piercing bombs
1,522 cases of fuses
1,429 cases of phosphorous bombs
1,427 cases of 100lb demolition bombs
817 cases of small arms ammunition
Having crossed the Atlantic Ocean with the probability of attack by u-boat, she arrived in the Thames estuary on route to her final destination of Cherbourg. During the night of 20th August 1944 she swung around at her moorings and run aground on the Sheerness middle sand. Her plates quickly began to crack and buckle and her remaining crew abandoned ship.

Shortly after, work began to remove the cargo. The Richard Montgomery's own booms and winches were used for this purpose. They can still be seen today, protruding from the wreck.
Salvage work continued for several days until a storm struck. The Richard Montgomery dragged anchor, broke her back and split in two AND THERE SHE REMAINS TODAY.

Estimates vary as to the exact amount of explosives left on board and scattered across the sea bed. No exact records were kept during the war time salvage operation. It is thought that around half her cargo still remains, perhaps from 1,200 tons to 3,000 tons of munitions containing TNT which does not deteriorate in sea water.

[BrilloPad]

We've done this before but still cannot see this happening until the SS Richard Montgomery issue is resolved

Can they not just bomb it?

[BrilloPad]

Can they not just bomb it?

Scrap that....

BBC News - SS Richard Montgomery structural collapse 'getting closer'

In August 2004 a report in the New Scientist magazine said if the ship exploded it would be one of the biggest non-nuclear blasts ever and would devastate the port of Sheerness.

Though some might consider the loss of Sheerness a bonus.

[AtW]

Estuary is too close to Mortuary - can't call airport like that.

[eek]

Though some might consider the loss of Sheerness a bonus.

Might? Anyone who has been there WILL consider it a bonus.

I saw a story last year that it would have a similar impact on Southend. I repeat my comment above.

[TimberWolf]

How will it benefit other parts of the country, which already have all the airport capacity they require? Build it elsewhere and it will be a white elephant.

Are you sure they have the capacity? My local airport (Bristol) is expanding rapidly, but people in the South West still have to travel for many, many hours to get to London for a lot of flights. I often choose instead to fly from Bristol to somewhere close to where I want to get and then travel on foreign transport rather than enduring expensive UK public transport to get to London. Although mostly I just go to local airport destinations, which handily is increasing all the time.

[AtW]

I don't like flying but was impressed how good Birmingham airport is - not as good as Terminal 5 but gives very nice impression. Plenty of capacity here, main problem is that apparently airplanes charged London like rate to land so they prefer to go to Manchester airport instead.

With HS2 stop at Birmingham Air it will be just 40 mins to London city center.