Tory Airport proposal targets Peninsula

The shocking revelations in the Sunday Times (p. 15) and BBC News that the Conservative Party Mayor of London, Boris Johnson is now actively considering bulldozing over the Hoo peninsula in a very real and credible attempt to keep his idea for an airport alive.

Todays article, a deliberate leak this blog suspects, will destroy any semblance of credibility that the inept Medway Conservative campaign is having any impact on the 'Boris Airport' proposal.

A campaign which has been so low-key that you could be forgiven for thinking that Medway Conservatives actually wanted a mega-airport over Medway.

Labour in Medway has opposed any new airport in North Kent. The prediction by Medway Labour and this blog has been that the 'Island' proposal was a slippery slope to bulldoze over Cliffe and North Kent. The rejection of the Island proposal by Cameron did not include other areas of the Thames Gateway and Conservative Transport Ministers response to questions have been open to interpretation.

Tory PPCs were able to secure very cagey responses during the General Election which ruled out the Island proposal but did not rule out a North Kent option. Mark Reckless arguably secured the votes of thousands of peninsula residents on the back of such a position.

Tracey Crouch MP (Chatham & Aylesford) put her credibility as a public representative on the line on the issue. Following representation, she recently wrote to Philip Hammond, Secretary of State for Transport, asking him to clarify Government policy on the Thames Estuary Airport, as proposed by London Mayor Boris Johnson.

"I can confirm that the Government has no plans to build any new airports in the region. Our aviation policies are firmly focussed on improving existing airports - making our airports better, not bigger"

Why then, is the governing Conservative Party candidate for Mayor, continuing to seek representation on the matter?

Despite the above assurances, communities in the peninsula today will be very worried indeed about the plan of the Conservative Party and Boris Johnson. Worried about the bulldozers who could concrete over greats swathes of RSPB reserves. Communities who will be worrying about pollution and the prospect of being part of a Tory air-traffic corridor. Communities who will be worrying about house prices. That article today will in one swoop damage the prospect of people looking to buy or sell on the peninsula.

We need Boris Johnson to immediately make a statement about the proposal for an Airport on the Hoo peninsula. Any delay or equivocation from him and it effectively means we have a green light from Conservatives to consider the scheme.

Medway Conservatives need to get a grip and fast. We need an active, visible and capable campaign to oppose this airport and we need it now. This proposal is not a pie-in-the-sky, it has wings and the longer Rodney Chambers and his 'chums' continue to stick their proverbial head in the sand, this will only get worse and worse.

Medway Labour have warned the Tories for months to raise their game. They have not.

For proof, this blog has a history of raising justifiable concerns on the Airport issue - please do take a read of concerns it has raised.

Residents will remember Conservative campaigners in 2003 attacking the then Labour Government proposal for an airport. The same campaigners are today silent. For some reason the public campaigns they so cherished are now so opposed.

Make no mistake, there will be Conservatives sitting on the peninsula today who will be fuming at this duplicity. Perhaps they should actually do something about it, and soon. This is about your community now, will you stand up for it, or put your Party interests first. It's time to make a call...

Cllr Chambers its time to get a grip and its time to run a proper campaign.