Representation by Colin Foreman
- Date submitted
- 3 September 2018
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I fully support the proposals by Riveroak Strategic Partners [RSP] for Manston Airport as laid out in their application for a Development Consent Order [DCO] for the following reasons: • Manston Airport has a major role to play in the national aviation infrastructure of the UK, currently under extreme pressure for increased capacity. • By utilising the extensive existing runway, supported by updated and extended aviation infrastructure as outlined in the application, pressures on other airports can be quickly alleviated, particularly as far as cargo is concerned, and in the longer term with the addition of passenger capacity. • The road network serving the airport has in recent years been dramatically improved, with direct dual carriageway access to the motorway network covering virtually the whole of the nation. • Current proposals for the Manston Parkway station linked to an upgraded HS1 will give improved passenger links. • A revitalised Manston will provide much needed employment opportunities in one of the most deprived areas in the country, on a par with the north east. By providing long term training opportunities in a multitude of aviation related environments, school leavers in East Kent will have a far greater prospect of a financially secure future, and unemployment will be greatly reduced. • I have no problem with occasional unplanned night flights caused by operational delays or emergency situations. This is inevitable in any airport operation. • Developments in aviation technology, and increasingly environmentally friendly operations mean that a revitalised Manston Airport will have far less negative impact on the local environment. Everything about the Airport will be good for East Kent and good for the UK. • The prospects for Manston Airport in a post-EU UK are immense, and I look forward to approval of the RSP DCO so that the national asset that is Manston Airport can be fully utilised in the future aviation activity of this country.