Matthew Sinclair questions the campaign against a third runway at Heathrow. He says, rightly, that the proper question is whether there is a feasible alternative. This is a vital issue not only to quality of life in London and Westwards (the flights literally disturb the Queen's peace), but to the future strength of the economy. The idea of the £13 Bn airport in the Thames estuary seems a bit dotty to many - and it would be such a big project there are concerns it will end up with cost over-runs and generally be a mess.
So let's have a debate. Here's an idea I've been mulling. We move some of the excess business flight capacity from Heathrow to Gatwick. We then move an equal amount of the holiday charter flights Gatwick does to Manston in East Kent. "Manston?" I hear people say, going puce and choking on their cornflakes, "what a loony idea!" Maybe not. With the fast link out of St Pancras to Ashford and re-signalling from Ashford to Manston it could be possible to get there in 45 minutes at a cost of around £500m. Manston has a runway long enough to take the concord. It's underused and, done sensitively, could be a welcome boost to the East Kent economy.
There. I've stuck my neck out. What do Centre Right readers think and what other alternatives might be possible and practical without breaking the bank?