Hugh says NO to airport

Hugh has joined Kent Conservatives in opposing the building of an airport in Cliffe, which will devaste the Kent environment

Hugh Robertson has today urged the government to remove Cliffe as a possible site for a major new airport, saying it is totally unsuitable, and would cause untold damage to the local environment.

This follows the government's decision to extend the Airport Consultation for a further six months as a result of the High Court decision that excluding Gatwick from the consultation was illegal.

Mr Robertson accused the government of playing political games with Cliffe, saying, "I believe that it was only included as a red herring so the government could appease the environmental lobby by ruling it out at a later stage. They will then develop one of the existing South East airports - which is most certainly their real intention.

He has also backed a Commons motion calling on the government to reject Cliffe as a possible site.

"The decision to include Gatwick, leading to a six month extension to the consultation, provides the perfect opportunity to remove Cliffe as an option.

"I have long believed that building a new airport at Cliffe would have huge infrastructure costs, destroy the quality of life of many people in Kent and Essex and cause untold damage to the local environment.

"Cliffe is so unsuitable as a site that the government should remove it now from the consultation.

"It is disgraceful that a political game has blighted the lives and properties of so many of my constituents and people right across Kent and Essex."