Mayor plans 100,000-home town at Heathrow

The mayor yesterday outlined his vision for a future ‘hub airport’ for the capital, suggesting three possible sites: the Isle of Grain in north Kent; Stansted; or an artificial island in the Thames Estuary.

Mr Johnson argued that Heathrow is unsuitable for expansion into an airport large enough to suit London’s needs, and should be closed down and replaced with a larger facility to the east of the capital.

‘Anyone who believes there would be space at Heathrow, which already blights the lives of hundreds of thousands of Londoners, is quite simply crackers,’ he said.

If a hub airport was built to the east of London then Heathrow would no longer be required, and the mayor’s office believes its existing transport links would make it the ideal site for a new town to house 250,000 people.

It said: ‘With four tube stations, Crossrail and National Rail connections, and the space and infrastructure to generate up to 100,000 new homes that London badly needs, the site would offer hope to millions of Londoners increasingly priced out of decent accommodation.’