Representation by Vee Bentley
- Date submitted
- 4 September 2018
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I understand that you will be looking into the possibility / viability of reopening Manston Airport. Should you decide to do so I believe that you would have the backing, the support and the gratitude of the vast majority of people living in S.E. Kent. It is not just a matter of the history of the place, which so many are rightly proud of, neither is it the hope of travel in and out of a local airport (though this would be wonderful to see again) but it is about common sense in so many areas:
Jobs: Not just at the airport, but also those jobs which rely on imports/exports and tourism.
Freight: So much comes in via Gatwick or Heathrow and the resulting nightmare, also known as the M25, needs no explanation to anyone who has tried to use it. Moving some of the traffic through a less congested road network would surely help to ease that burden.
Gatwick vs Heathrow additional runway: Let's be honest - nobody who lives nearby wants either expansion. At Manston, with one of the longest runways in the country, use of this airport is desperately wanted and may make either of the other (more expensive) options unnecessary.
Brexit: We all have an opinion but nobody really knows yet. However, all indications are that we will need to make more use of our options for trade further afield, such as the USA, Canada, China, etc. Manston's runway is ideal for large freight, ideal for larger aircraft, well positioned for infrastructure distribution.
Local Support / Objections: Living in the area I can already tell you that locally the support for Manston, to be once again, operational as an airport, is huge! There would also be less objection here on the grounds of noise due to so much of the air traffic coming and going directly out across the sea, rather than the land.
I do hope that you will give the possibility of reopening this airport serious consideration. Giving it the 'go-ahead' in opposition to a housing estate would be so much more sensible. Yes, there is a need for housing but surely not in an area of such deprivation, no jobs and no infrastructure to support it?
Thank you for reading this email.
Yours faithfully,
Vee Bentley (Mrs)