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The "Cliffe Hangar": Background
As there are several other websites already covering this fully (see the Other Sites page) I am not going to repeat more than the bsic story before going onto what it all means for Medway and beyond.
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How It All Started
Back in the Spring of 2002, information was leaked to a newspaper that regional studies into meeting the future needs of air travel were being produced, and that the study for the South-East of England including proposals for the construction of a huge international airport on the Cliffe Marshes, Medway, Kent.
This was later confirmed when the so-called SERAS report appeared, inwhich one of the options being put forward was indeed the new airport at Cliffe. Other options were for expansion of existing airports in the South-East.
The threat of taking over a whole peninsula to create Britain's largest international airport has become the biggest issue to hit the Medway area—and beyond—for many years.
It is so vast that it would wipe out at least 1,100 homes, several internationally-protected nature reserves, sixteen (perhaps more) listed buildings and a lot of historically-significant local features. Even the dead would have to be moved as burial places would also go.
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Why Build a New Aiport, and Why Here?
The Cliffe proposal is one of a very limited range of options for the South East to help cope with the expected increase in demand for air travel. Here is a layout plan of the proposed new airport:
Notably, any expansion of Gatwick was specifically excluded from the options because of a local agreement dating from 1979 and agreeing to no development for 30 years. It is to be noted that the 1973 international RAMSAR agreement protecting the nature reserves at Cliffe Pools, though much more significant than a local planning agreement, has not however resulted in the Cliffe option being removed from the list of those available. Indeed the current belief is that Cliffe is the preferred option of the Minister concerned, Alistair Darling.
It would also be consistent with Government policy towards the South-East of England: build more houses and concrete over as much open land as possible, so that the programme of house demolition and park creation can continue in the North.
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The Issues
The main issues raised by this proposal are:
- destruction of well over a thousand homes and displacement of residents
- destruction of internationally-important nature reserves
- indefinite blight on the whole area
- noise pollution until late at night (passenger aircraft)
- noise pollution all night long (freight aircraft)
- light pollution in all directions, all day and night long
- huge additional housing requirement to accommodate a minimum 80,000 workforce
- infrastructure requirements (roads, parking, schools, medical facilities) for those workers
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The Implications
The greatest implications of this project going ahead include:
- house prices first rising a little, then plummeting
- the need to accommodate nearly all the airport's staff within or near Medway
- low-flying airliners and other aircraft, especially over our higher-altitude areas
- increased airspace congestion and risk of incident/accident including bird strikes
This is a far from exhaustive list—there are many other issues.
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Political Aspects
There are, for central govermment, some attractive political reasons for creating a new hub airport in the South-East of England:
- it can have much greater capacity than any existing airport
- it can provide better links for and between domestic and overseas flights
- other airports (such as Heathrow) can be run down and eventually closed—the closure of Heathrow by 2010 has already been suggested as a strong possibility
However, probably the most compelling reason of all from a Labour government's point of view is that this move would displace a huge number of non-Labour voters (the Hoo peninsula wards consistently elect Conservative Councillors) and thus skew the local political make-up of Medway and perhaps even give control of Medway Council to Labour. This is so tempting that it is hardly surprising that the Cliffe option turns out to be (reputedly) the Minister's personal favourite.
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Actions to date
It is not a surprise to anyone that a large-scale local campaign to oppose this proposal has come into existence, and with public meetings, petitions, car stickers, marches and other activities this has become a significant voice for the local people on the peninsula and elsewhere in Medway. The campaign is being led by both local residents and environmental groups. See the Links to other sites page for links to the relevant websites and some special email links.
Meanwhile Medway Council has teamed up with other local authorities nearby to fight the proposal on behalf of local residents, and has:
- in partnership with Kent County Council applied for judicial review of the SERAS Report's decision not to include a Gatwick option in its consultation: this has been approved.
- conducted a Medway-wide opinion poll
- appointed consultants who specialise in this area of work to help research and confirm/contradict the government's facts and assumptions
- held a series of public information and public debate meetings
- set up an Air Transport Task Group
- produced a draft response that has been agreed by the full Council to be finalised and submitted to Government.
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What Can I Do?
There are a number of actions you and I can take, and here is a page of suggestions for what can be done right now. As events unfold, there will be further actions that will become possible, for example joining in a march that should soon be taking place in London. Details will be provided as and when they are known.
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