Weekly Poll Lowdown

Well the boarding sign has appeared for the idea of building Boris Island. Boris Island has been given a go ahead by you in our weekly. Boris will be pleased. Notably it is only Heathrow or Boris Island in people's mind.

A Cheery Boris over backing from #ThingsElliottSays readers.

How do you solve the UK's airport problems?

More runways at Heathrow.	24%
More runways at Luton or Stanstead.	0%
Build Boris Island.	76%
Build another airport.	0%

Total votes: 17

This is a very tough question because the Conservative Party's current policy is not to build any more runways at Heathrow. We made this policy decision and we should stick to it till our next manifesto till 2015, we're not the Lib Dems. But such a policy is very costly to our country. With the indecision at the moment £14 Billion is being lost every year and by 2030 this will rise to £26 Billion, not good at all. Indeed we probably need 2 more runways in the country just to solve this economic black hole. 

 Boris Island may look like this.

Heathrow alternatives are simply not economically viable. Boris Island will cost £50 Billion compared to Heathrow's £12 billion extension. The same is the case for Gatwick, Luton or Stansted which will need massive transport investment as well. Boris admitted recently that the most effective of all the airport solutions is another runway at Heathrow and then redevelopment of Gatwick over building Boris Island. Boris Island is simply not going to happen.

Boris Island is just unworkable as an idea.

But by building again at Heathrow there would be the age old problem that nobody living there wants it to happen because of the noise levels. This is probably Boris Island's only asset because flight paths will be over the North Sea where only Mermaids live. A solution as proposed by the Economist is to have two more sites to the West of Heathrow that may reduce noise pollution levels. The big problem is this is a may. The residents around Heathrow are almost destined to have some sort of increased noise.

There will always be opposition to any more development at Heathrow so air noise will have to be minimized.

In 2015 the Conservative Party should back a policy to build at Heathrow because otherwise there is going to be a huge economic problem in the country. I think such an expansion should try and reduce the noise level issues by moving developments West rather than North. The reality is however no one will be happy with any decision made.

Vote in the new poll on the sidebar.