Tory Airport plan to blight Bexley?

3.01.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 6th Jun 2008

Will Bexley hit by the blight of planes, 24 hours a day?

Boris Johnson's office has admitted that the Conservative Mayor of London wants a new airport somewhere east of London and has refused to rule out the Thames Gateway area.

In an email to Liberal Democrats, Boris Johnson's staff revealed the Mayor's view but refused to be drawn on where exactly the Mayor would like the new airport to be built.

Oliver Brooks, Liberal Democrat candidate for the Christchurch council by-election in Bexley, comments:

"The new Conservative Mayor is obviously in denial about the environmental impact of air travel. Hundreds of flights leave London each week to destinations that could just as easily be reached by train. We should be increasing the capacity of our existing rail network rather than destroying huge swathes of North Kent and the outer London suburbs with a devastating new airport."

Duncan Borrowman, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesman for Old Bexley & Sidcup says:

"Resident of West London have suffered from Heathrow for many years, and the values of many houses has been hit by the uncertainty of future Heathrow expansion. But it looks like Boris Mayor Johnson wants to shift the blight of 24 hour planes to our area "

Related Link:

Times article on Mayor Livingstone's plans.