A LEADING councillor in Monmouthshire says he is unimpressed by a proposal for a Severnside airport.

Councillor Giles Howard, cabinet member for highways and transport, told a cabinet meeting: "In my opinion you'll be able to buy a ticket to the moon before you fly from Severnside."

Councillor Howard attended a meeting at the National Assembly where the Severnside International Airport Company made a presentation of their plans for a new airport on land on the Severn Estuary.

The proposal is included in the government's Air Transport Consultation Paper which outlines a range of options for airport and air services over the next 30 years.

Councillor Howard said he was unimpressed with the company's presentation.

He said: "What struck us most was the complete lack of detail - there was nothing about the potential difficulties of building in the river, how to address the environmental problems or what to do about the birds."

George Ashworth, head of planning at Monmouthshire county council, reported that a new airport would only be viable if Cardiff and Bristol airports were to close and even then there would still be many more environmental issues to consider.

Supporters of Severnside airport have claimed that the proposal could bring hundreds of jobs and meet the demand for air travel across Wales.

But Councillor Giles Howard has dismissed these comments. He said: "I do not believe in jobs at any cost."

He said that the costs would be losses of jobs at Cardiff and Bristol airports, irreparable damage to the ecology of the river and residents would be blighted by sleepless nights and traffic congestion.

Councillor Howard said that the chairman of Severnside Company, Michael Stephens, had said that a new airport could rival Heathrow and Gatwick in size.

The government is desperate to find a site for another international 'Class A' airport as the skies over the South East of England become more and more congested.

The Severnside International Airport Company is headed by Bath-based developer Peter Charles-Greed.

Mr Charles-Greed said the government predicted that by 2016 passenger demand would exceed airport capacity by 70 million a year, even if all existing airports maximised their accommodation.

He said: "The solution is to build a new airport near the Severn Bridge.

"This may at first seem too far west, but Severnside will have fast direct road, rail and air links to London and the rest of the country."