Mayor of London Boris Johnson was in Uxbridge (today) to reveal his plans for a future without Heathrow Airport.
Mr Johnson invited the media to the civic centre, in High Street, to a "behind closed doors" briefing on his "Heathrow redevelopment scenarios" report, which posits three potential outcomes for the vast Heathrow site should the Airports Commission decide against expansion and it go into decline and close as a result.
The first is for a new "education and technology quarter", with two large campus universities supporting an estimated 100,000 jobs.
The report also suggests that it could be turned into a new town, delivering 48,000 homes for 112,000 people and generating up to £6billion for the economy each year.
The third scenario is to build a vast residential area on the land, which is similar in size to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and become a commuter belt travelling into central London and Thames Valley, for a population of around 200,000.
The Mayor, who has long advocated a brand new hub airport to the east of London, said: "There is no question that Heathrow would present a unique, once in a lifetime opportunity to create a new town within the capital.
"My vision offers the capital world-class air links combined with thousands of new homes and jobs. An expanded Heathrow just offers more misery."
By his side for the announcement was Conservative Party compatriot and Leader of Hillingdon Council, Councillor Ray Puddifoot, who also unveiled the borough's blueprint for Heathrow in the long-term.
The report, entitled "Heathrow Park: A Better Future for Heathrow", also imagines the idea of the Airport closing and the creation of Heathrow Park, a cluster of purpose-built villages.
It also puts forward the notion of a new regional airport - a smaller-scale Heathrow - to the north-west of the site and coexisting with the new homes.
Mr Puddifoot said: "Whilst it is apparent that the only senior politician of any party with the clarity of vision to deal with this issue is Boris Johnson, the decision on where to build the new airport is not, at this time, his to make.
"However, what is abundantly clear is the need to start preparing now for the future of the site."
The proposals have been criticised from Dr Onkar Sahota, Labour London Assembly Member for Ealing and Hillingdon, who said: "The Mayor is today wasting yet more taxpayers money pushing his unworkable, unrealistic and unaffordable plan to close Heathrow in favour of a new airport in the Thames Estuary. His plan would wreck west London’s economy and create economic chaos for my constituents. He must be the only person left in London who thinks this is a good idea."
Can you see future without Heathrow Airport? Could west London survive it the airport were to close? Are you in favour of a brand new hub airport to the east of London? Leave your comments below, or email jack.griffith@trinitymirror.com.
