London mayor Boris Johnson has called on renowned civil engineer Douglas Oakervee to present plans for a new airport in the Thames estuary region to the capital's Assembly Environment Committee.
Mr Oakervee will brief the members on March 11th and discuss the potential environmental impact of the proposed airport development, it has been announced.
Already, the proposal has been opposed by both Medway and Kent County Councils, as well as some wildlife groups.
Chair of the Environment Committee Murad Qureshi said: "The idea of a new airport in the Thames estuary has been floating around for quite some time, and has generally been dismissed as something that is never realistically going to happen.
"But with the mayor promoting the idea again...we feel it is our duty to look into the issue on behalf of Londoners."
The plans would involve the construction of artificial islands off the Kent coast, connected to the mainland.
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