THREE Government quangos have come out publicly against the Government's proposal to build an airport at Cliffe.

The Thames Gateway Kent Partnership (TGKP) was the latest in a long list of organisation to reject the proposal. It joins the South East England Development Agency and the South East of England Regional Assembly to unanimously reject the airport proposal.

TGKP is a partnership of public authorities, private businesses and voluntary sector organisations set up by the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, to undertake the regeneration of North Kent.

One of its members is Paul Clark, the Gillingham MP and secretary to the Thames Gateway Parliamentary Group, who said he welcomed their unanimous decision.

Meeting in Dartford Civic Centre, TGKP members decided to write immediately to inform the Government that the partnership opposed the five-runway airport plan because it would have "serious detrimental economic, social and environmental impacts" throughout North Kent.

They are to push the government to remove Cliffe from the list of potential sites because of the blight it is causing. The members said the airport was threatening to undermine "significant and sustainable regeneration" of the entire Thames Gateway.

And they said the Government needs to commit itself to providing a comprehensive road and rail system that serves existing and future airport capacity.

TGKP said the improvements must include CTRL domestic services to Medway, and Crossrail services into Ebbsfleet. And they said their decision reinforced their support for the construction of further Thames crossings, including rail investment in direct links to Stansted, Gatwick and Heathrow.