Representation by Ian Hide
- Date submitted
- 6 September 2018
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Concern about noise pollution and air pollution affecting Ramsgate and parts of Broadstairs.
Doubts that plan is financially sound as 3 previous operators were unable to make the airport profitable. Two of the these operators seem to have more airport operating experience than the applicant has. In addition the operator Lothian Shelf that closed the airport was founded by someone with transport experience.
Local towns in the Thanet area are now having to take additional housing to fulfill government housing targets.
If the owners of Stone Hill Park (the new name for the Manston site) lose ownership then an opportunity to develop housing with a full range of developer funded amenities will be lost. Instead the local council is now looking at adding considerable amounts of housing to traffic congested and in some cases currently lacking sufficient services areas of the existing towns. This is causing some protest from residents.
Also the current owners have considerable industrial and commercial development experience.
What is Riveroak's plan B if again airport financially fails again? Is it housing but without the amenities promised by Stone Hill Park as a "fire sale" situation would exist?
In addition the claims of thousands of jobs have never been achieved by any of the previous airport operators. As I understand it the maximum number of jobs was 160 some of which were part time. Stone Hill Park proposals suggest a couple of thousand jobs and if you look at their success at Discovery Park at nearby Sandwich it is likely they are a better route to achieving better employment prospects in Thanet.
Thanet District Council talks about turning Ramsgate Harbour into a Marina - really ? Right under the flight path? I doubt owners of yachts will berth under a flight path.
Other tourism etc investment that has arrived in Ramsgate over the last 4 years may leave if noise is a issue. More jobs lost.
Riveroak has said night flights will be vital for logistics reasons. Previous operators agreed Section 101 agreements which included no night flights. I fear noise blighting will affect Ramsgate and result in it losing investment and those that can afford to move away doing so. Then the town becomes run down. This risk for may be 200 jobs and with the risk that yet again the airport closes and then a prime development site sits waiting for another developer to look at it.
Kent County Council says the airport has lost £100 million over approx 16 years.
Specialist reports commissioned by Thanet District Council suggest the airport will never be financially viable or will need much more in the way of considerable financial input by investors over 20 plus years than maybe Riveroak can muster.
Why risk a CPO when the existing owner has a proven track record of development both in Billingham and at the nearby Discovery Park in Sandwich (a site that Pfizer Pharmaceutical largely pulled out of and which has been comprehensively developed by the current owners of the Manston / Stone Hill Park site).