The campaign against plans to build an airport in the Thames estuary is being taken to the House of Lords.

Medway Council has launched a vocal opposition to plans for an airport, originally put forward by London mayor Boris Johnson.

Council leader Rodney Chambers and chief executive Neil Davis will be among those discussing the negative impacts of an estuary airport at the Kent Transport Summit in the House of Lords on Tuesday, November 10.

The meeting, which is titled Keeping Kent Moving, will discuss a range of transport issues across the county and has been organised by Kent County Council.

Both authorities have opposed Mr Johnson's plans for a £40bn floating airport off the Kent coast.

Along with the RSPB the two councils have launched an online petition at www.stopestuaryairport.co.uk, which has been signed by 850 people.

The Kent Transport Summit will be attended by people including the Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, Theresa Villiers, and chair of the South East Regional Select Committee Stephen Ladyman.

Cllr Chambers said: "This is an opportunity to alert leading figures from the public sector and transport industry, alongside MPs and local councillors of our campaign and gain further support to ensure this scheme cannot progress any further.

"We are more than prepared to defeat these plans to stop the unnecessary damage to the environment and disruption to the lives of people in Medway that this would cause.

"The scheme just does not add up, the estimated cost of more £40b, the pressure it would place on an already over-stressed transport network and the ecological damage to what is a protected habitat for 300,000 migratory birds easily outweigh any benefit this airport would bring."