I don't Believe it!!
This may be the silly season but this new proposal for an off shore airport must be a joke. If the powers to be thought Manston was just a bit too far away from London then why on earth are they considering this proposal. See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-20783474
Any off shore airport is problematic to say the least. We cannot even build an art gallery in the sea close to land (Turner Contemporary).
If the lunatics decided to build this it would require major road and bridge links in a hostile environment. It would need to be built several metres above sea level to take into account climate change and rising sea levels.
Placing an object like this in the sea would also change tidal flows in indeterminable ways to present more problems for shipping and coastal erosion.
The effect on wildlife and marine life would be devastating particularly so close to a bird reserve and seal colony.
It would also be subject to strong cross winds and gales not to mention flooding.
I think this must be another non starter like the other two suggestions to build in the Thames Estuary.
.....but if you apply the same arguments to Goodwin sands as supporters of manston apply to manston, it should be backed.
ReplyDeleteCreates jobs, uses existing infrastructure, saves having to travel all the way to heathrow or gatwick once a year.
The only difference is it isn't already there.
But if this was built, surely it would be good for the area?
So where does the bridge go and motorway to connect it? Through Sandwich golf course or Kingsdown. Not forgetting this is one of the busiest shipping lanes.
ReplyDeleteI suspect that it would not be operational on many occasions either due to fog in the channel or high winds.
I still think its a non starter.
But this little part of the channel is devoid of ships due to the Goodwin sands. Too shallow, and littered with wrecks.
ReplyDeleteThe thinking is usually to have cars kept away from the site, so they may Tarmac over huge swathes of Kent and send all passengers over via underground rail. But that's what they want to do with Thanet parkway.
You see, it's all hunky dory when Thanet gets the rough deals, but as soon as anywhere else gets impacted its a bad idea all of a sudden.
I assume when they look at this site they may notice there is already an airport at Manston unused and ready to go. This may not be popular with some people yet others welcome it as a means of kick starting our local economy.
ReplyDeleteAs a side issue has anyone heard what is happening about Euroferries and their January start up of the Ramsgate to Boulogne fast ferry?
From their website www.goodwinairport.com it looks as if they propose a road and rail connection to the shore in a tunnel. If its true that we need a 4 runway hub airport I don't think there is any chance of putting it at Manston, especially with Ramsgate right on the end of the runway.
ReplyDeleteIf it were to be built it would create a huge number of jobs in the area and that would certainly be welcome.
Yes some convincing arguments for this project although cost and distance from London could be major factors. Taking the time it took to build a channel tunnel I think it would take a long while to get this up and running. There also needs to be a short term solution to airport capacity and using existing regional airports more effectively would appear to be a solution. It would be interesting to know what the large operators think of a Goodwin Sands Airport.
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