I agree - this should be removed from the political sphere, because politicians have shown themselves incapable of providing a solution. Just as in the US, where they set up a committee to decide which military bases should be closed, a similar organization/committee should be appointed, and the legislation authorizing it should make it immune from legal delays.

My winner on causing as much problem as possible is going to Germany at the moment.

Isn't that exactly what has been done?

UK Government Announces New Airports Commission

Tory Thinktank says 4 runways at Heathrow but move them 3km to the west.

Boris accuses Government of risking 'economic catastrophe' over third runway

Whilst Boris is right about government dithering Policy Exchange make the valid point that Heathrow is where the people who use it are and they can't be easily moved to the back end of beyond

Boris has said, I read in the Standard last night, that Boris Island won't be that expensive only costing £60bn in total ;). Which is £30bn for the airport (paid for by sovereign wealth funds) and £30bn for the infrastructure (paid for by the UK taxpayer :eek: )

Let's just pray that he never gets to be leader of the conservatives or pm!

Does that include the costs of relocating the 80,000 people and their families - along with the people dependent on them like shopkeepers, teachers, nurses ,etc as well the companies who moved to the west side of London because it was where the main UK airport was.

Just so, alanR ... those substantial 'peripheral issues' never seem to come into the discussion. If anything, those aspects you mention (and probably some others) are probably a bigger potential problem than the distant sound of an airliner on approach at 2,500 FT over London and the western fringes.

It is quite interesting how some local MPs have changed their tune since Boris Island has popped it's head up.
I wrote to my MP Terresa May to remind her of the job losses in the area that would affect her constituency, if the airport was to move and her reply indicates a total turnaround in her willingness to consider all options.

Not so long ago she was very against a third runway but the thought of losing her biggest employer in the area and the reason many companies are located in her constituency seems to have focussed her mind!

No idea but if you want my opinion, no it doesn't :eek: that's probably not going to come cheap and assuming a figure of £100,000 per person (allowing for the resale of homes etc. elsewhere) that's getting into serious money. It probably also assumes that everything runs smoothly comes in on time and on budget which is always guaranteed right. ;)

Now that is a surprise. :D

I wish I could put a bet on Boris Island never happening.

In fact I think it is making him look like a bit of a maverick and doing him a lot of damage as it really does seem that he is obsessed with an idea that looks completely impossible for many different reasons; birds, infrastructure, lack of airline willingness etc.etc.

The latest think tank is suggesting putting 4 new LHR runways near the M25 and putting some of the motorway in a tunnel underneath and moving a reservoir. Although that sounds expensive, it's probably a lot cheaper than Boris Island and in the right place at least!

Here's an article written by the author of the report - Tim Leunig, chief economist at CentreForum, which includes a link to the report and a picture.

When I read about moving the runways west, I just couldn't picture what they meant? Surely there are large reservoirs. Apparently he suggests building over top of the M25 and the Wraysbury Reservoir. Hmmm. Not sure that strikes me as practical.

Greg

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/n...b-airport.html

More comments if not already included

So many aspects ... I'll just pick one for starters.

Moving the runways a mile or so west (building a new airport? Gate A-10 gets busier?) surely does little for noise over London, especially the leafy western parts?

Deferring to our resident LHR ATCOs, IIRC the instrument approaches to 27L/R are at 2,500 ft until glide path intercept. Aircraft will therefore still be at 2,500 over all those affluent areas populated by Nimbys.