Boris Island and the demise of the Medway

[dylanwinter]

As I understand the proposed airport is going to be at the entrance to the Medway.

I spent almost three months on the Medway in the first year of my slow circumnavigation

The river system turned out to be a real treat and the southerly parts have some wonderul refuges. It was the Medway that made me decide to take my time in sailing around the UK.

These things make me so pleased that I started my journey around the UK when I did - so much of what I have filmed has gone already.

With the exponential growth in the UK population then these changes are going to come even faster. The High speed two is going to come close to my house - there goes the brilliant early morning acoustic of the ancient woodlands the railway is going to come smashing through.

Makes me sad.

I spent many happy nights in Stangate Creek - it was peaceful and quiet. I could lie in by bunk listening to the birds and also hear the seals.

I understand they will have to create a bird free area around the airport.

Out in the Thames estuary the windfarms are really starting to spread - the look of our mightiest estuary has changed forever - but at least they are relatively quiet.

The main acoustic of the whole area will be the roar of jets whisking people off to the BVI's for some peace and quiet.

So, if anyone would like a tape of the way the medway used to sound.....

Much sadness from this particular old sailor

but I guess that is the price of progress and the imperitive to grow the World and Uk economy at five per cent a year

Dylan

 

[Twister_Ken]

Some sympathy with what you say, but as I live under the LHR flightpath...

My understanding, no actual site yet identified and made a racing certainty. It may be the Medway, it could be Sheppey or Canvey or it could be a new mud bank somewhere.

Probably safe to say "Not in our lifetime"

 

[ChattingLil]

Probably safe to say "Not in our lifetime"

Not what Boris was saying this morning on R4. if you missed it, listen again as it was quite interesting. He reckons UK could follow (for eg) Singapore model and have it ready in 10-12 years.

 

[dylanwinter]

shed in Scotland

I am thinking of moving to Scotland where I can live in a well insulated shed

I would rather hear the howl of the wind than the scream of a jet or an HS2 train

one of the great pleasures of sailing is the sound.....or lack of

I guess it is why I have never understood the mobo-ists

Dylan

 

[Seajet]

Dylan,

I share your feelings, can't help thinking all this clamour for ever increasing numbers of flights is a mere blip in the scheme of things, but once we've lost the countryside & coastline we'll never get it back.

It will be interesting ( and probably depressing ) to see how they get over the bird problem. At the airfield where I worked - where Top Gear is filmed now - we had a very nasty accident in the 1970's when a business jet ( flown by the legendary John 'cat's eyes' Cunningham ) suffered a double birdstrike and crashed on takeoff. Everyone got out, then later some pieces of car were found; another pilots' wife & family had been parked by the runway end on the main road, all were killed.

After that the anti-bird measures were strict, I sometimes had a lift with the 'bird van'; they had a loudspeaker on top and a wide selection of birdsong tapes, 'Curlew, Wagtail' etc; 'Peregrine Falcon' was the favourite for clearing the others...

As for HS2, words fail me; the only reasoning I can think of is Cameron fancies it as ' a lasting monument to me '...

Do keep filming everything; one day your films will sadly be part of history, in the same way people like me watch films about traction engines & steam railways !

 

[OGITD]

Scotland!

Morning Dylan,

It would be ourselves who would be living in a shed if we sold-up and moved to your area (down south).
You on the other hand would be able to buy a mansion / estate with title (possibly)
But what I think you are looking for is here.
But there must be at least one proviso…. and that is guest moorings for your loyal supporters…. i.e. ME!

OG

 

[Sandyman]

Cant understand why they would want to decimate the Thames Estuary. If there is such a great need for another airport why not stick it out to the West of London. Say, in the Newbury area, right next to the M4 and build an HS type of link to Heathrow & into London.

Should get plenty of support as most peeps in the Newbury area are Tory supporters !!!!

 

[Nicholas123]

Do keep filming everything; one day your films will sadly be part of history, in the same way people like me watch films about traction engines & steam railways !

Somehow I doubt that.Wildlife is one thing that watching television programs of is no substitute for the real thing.People don't miss what they have never experienced hence the poor sods that live in the big inner city housing estates in places like London.
Only glad that I experienced what I experienced when I were a nipper & I won't be around to see the inevitable.
I would'nt swap with future generations for all the tea in China.

 

[Seajet]

Any change an improvement

On the other hand, I see the Isle of Sheppey is in the running; well I've been there a couple of times, it's already about as attractive as Chernobyl so if they're going to tarmac over anywhere this is the place to do it !

 

[RivalRedwing]

Any of the Thames options will certainly bu**er up a quiet sail across the estuary and those living to the west of any proposed airport will be blighted but employed. Hate to admit it but I can see some (detatched) logic to the proposal but when the additional infrastructure costs etc are factored in along with all the other ramifications I do wonder if the costs stack up. Without some massive infrastructure improvements the airport might not be viable even if it is better (Excell vs Earls Court springs to mind as a tenuous comparison)
Must admit I've been wondering why the Maplin Sands hasn't figured in the discussion to date as I thought it was considered an option in the late '60s ? (a bit before my time).

 

[BrianH]

Must admit I've been wondering why the Maplin Sands hasn't figured in the discussion to date as I thought it was considered an option in the late '60s ? (a bit before my time).

Unfortunately, not mine. I remember the discussions well and the arguments for Foulness were, to my mind, compelling. The development area was unlimited and it didn't include the sunken munitions ship off the Medway.

However, I did have some strong whispers (I worked indirectly for the MoD at the time) that the gunnery range at Shoeburyness was non-negotiable. Game over.

 

[Moonshining]

Cant understand why they would want to decimate the Thames Estuary. If there is such a great need for another airport why not stick it out to the West of London. Say, in the Newbury area, right next to the M4 and build an HS type of link to Heathrow & into London.

Should get plenty of support as most peeps in the Newbury area are Tory supporters !!!!

The logic of an airport tucked away in the far corner of the country, so that the hinterland is restricted to one side escapes me. The point of a transport hub is accessibility. Surely somewhere in the M4 or M40 corridors would make much more sense.

 

[Twister_Ken]

As I recall (vague now) one key reason about Maplin being rejected was that the MoD maintained it was essential for the defence of the realm; bombing ranges, etc. The MoD was rather more powerful then that it is now, so maybe Maplin is back in the hat?

 

[Leighb]

Must admit I've been wondering why the Maplin Sands hasn't figured in the discussion to date as I thought it was considered an option in the late '60s ? (a bit before my time).

Me too, however as far as I can remember one of the main objections to the Maplin proposal was the very high risk of bird strikes because of the large population of seabirds in the Thames Estuary.

 

[Twister_Ken]

The logic of an airport tucked away in the far corner of the country, so that the hinterland is restricted to one side escapes me. The point of a transport hub is accessibility. Surely somewhere in the M4 or M40 corridors would make much more sense.

One key consideration behind the estuary proposal is that it would not put people under the approach and take-off paths (apart from a few sailors and wildfowlers, I guess). If Newbury International could be arranged the same way, I'm with you. Especially if it is a stop on HS2.

 

[neale]

One key consideration behind the estuary proposal is that it would not put people under the approach and take-off paths (apart from a few sailors and wildfowlers, I guess). If Newbury International could be arranged the same way, I'm with you. Especially if it is a stop on HS2.

Bearing in mind the approach is reasonably quiet, its the take of that I wouldn't want over my house. With our predominantly SW winds, a take off from an airport on the southern shores of the estuary, ala Medway or Sheppey, will mean planes taking off into Kent.

 

[jwilson]

Not what Boris was saying this morning on R4. if you missed it, listen again as it was quite interesting. He reckons UK could follow (for eg) Singapore model and have it ready in 10-12 years.

If we have to have a big airport (and regrettably we probably do) an estuary site is certainly infinitely better than expanding Heathrow. I was in Hong Kong whilst the new airport was built - mostly in the sea, and it was done remarkably quickly, including a new fast train line into the centre of town.

The other thing forgotten is the economic benefit of freeing up the acreage of land that Heathrow represents - enough brownfield land there to forget building on the green belt for years. The old airport in Hong Kong is now prime property, and it has allowed the removal of lots of restrictions on building in the flightpath.

 

[Moonshining]

If we have to have a big airport (and regrettably we probably do) an estuary site is certainly infinitely better than expanding Heathrow. I was in Hong Kong whilst the new airport was built - mostly in the sea, and it was done remarkably quickly, including a new fast train line into the centre of town.

The other thing forgotten is the economic benefit of freeing up the acreage of land that Heathrow represents - enough brownfield land there to forget building on the green belt for years. The old airport in Hong Kong is now prime property, and it has allowed the removal of lots of restrictions on building in the flightpath.

How big is Hong Kong? What's the furthest from the airport that you could be and still be in the territory. Heathrow doesn't just serve London, it serves the whole of the Southern half of the country.

Shutting down LHR would put in excess of 100,000 people out of work in one fell swoop. Ain't gonna happen.

 

[doris]

I am thinking of moving to Scotland where I can live in a well insulated shed

IDylan

You will probably need a visa soon when that Fish bloke, masquerading as Hitler I hear, takes over completely. Also you be able buy half of Scotland for a few coins of real currency.

 

[PhillM]

New airport needed - dont get it myself.

Pre 2006 I drove 40K miles and flew 4+ times a week. One year circumnavigated the earth twice, all in the name of new business.

2006 we discovered WebEx conferncing (and nowadays GoToMeeting and others as well).

Today, ALL company meetings, internal and external are web based or Video Conference. We NEVER travel. Business has steadly grown. Costs have fallen.

100+ nights per year away from home, hotel bills, jet lag, missed meetings, waiting in receptions, time wasters ... all gone.

Today, I cycle to work.
I didnt have a car for 2 years, spent the money on the boat instead.
So, i can go sailing.

If the government spent a tenth of the cost promoting smart, green business instead of air travel, the world would be a much better place.