by Gemma Constable

gconstable@thekmgroup.co.uk

MP Gordon Henderson has vowed to oppose any moves to create a floating airport off Sheppey.

His promise comes after fellow Tory MP Bernard Jenkin, who represents Harwich and North Essex, and Greenwich MP, Nick Raynsford (Lab), announced the formation of an All Party Parliamentary Thames Estuary Airport Group.

The group will continue to investigate the possibility of the airport - nicknamed "Boris Island" after Mayor of London Boris Johnson who put forward the idea -but have said they will drop the idea if it becomes clear the environment would be harmed.

The airport would reportedly cost £40bn.

Mr Henderson said expanding Manston, with appropriate rail infrastructure to London, would be cheaper and it is "patently obvious" the environment would be harmed.

He said: "This idea has been knocking around for so many years it was less like flogging a dead horse than flogging a dead dinosaur. It should be buried once and for all.

"The argument that an airport would create thousands of new jobs is a fallacy because the original motive behind the idea was to close Heathrow and transfer the workers to the new site, which would require building thousands more homes in the area."

Mr Henderson is hoping to table an Early Day Motion opposing an airport in the Thames Estuary.

He added: "When I was approached by Bernard to join the group (as were all other MPs) I told him impolitely where he could stick his group and made it clear that I would fiercely oppose any suggestion of an airport off the north coast of Sheppey."

Swale council leader, Cllr Andrew Bowles, said: "The idea was originally looked at but then rejected on environmental grounds, I also do not believe it is feasible in financial terms.

"There is no need to re-open the idea for discussion, as I believe they will come to the same conclusion as they did the last time. We believe that it is far more sensible to consider looking at other options, most notably the expansion of Manston airport."