Creating a site for a new airport in the Thames Estuary could cost £2bn just in relocating wildlife, a key study has found.
Consultants Jacobs told the Airports Commission that up to 20,400ha could be needed for habitat compensation at a cost of up to £100,000 per ha.
London Mayor Boris Johnson submitted 1,000 pages of evidence to the commission in May to support his view that it is commercially and logistically viable to build a hub airport in the Thames Estuary.
The Sir Howard Davies-led panel is considering this as one possible answer to a looming airspace crisis, alongside options to expand Heathrow or Gatwick.
The Jacobs report concluded: “While it is technically possible to create large scale habitats, there is… a high level of uncertainty in achieving this.”
It added: “In order to demonstrate deliverability, further extensive studies would be needed over a large area and over many years, including the affected area and the possible compensation sites.”
Have your say
You must sign in to make a comment
Please remember that the submission of any material is governed by our Terms and Conditions and by submitting material you confirm your agreement to these Terms and Conditions. Please note comments made online may also be published in the print edition of New Civil Engineer. Links may be included in your comments but HTML is not permitted.