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Representation by Gillian Crow

Date submitted
3 October 2018
Submitted by
Members of the public/businesses
  1. Geography: the former Manston Airport is situated right on the south eastern edge of the country, with sea close to three sides. A hub by definition needs to be situated in the centre of the country, with good motorway links in all directions. All traffic from Manston would have to go via London/M25 to reach the rest of Britain.
  2. Ongoing transport: Manston’s road link to London is in places only dual carriageway and is completely inadequate to cope with the additional traffic a cargo hub would generate. Considerable public expenditure would have to be made to upgrade the A299, M2 and A2 roads. This would need to be costed into the PINS decision.
  3. Need for additional air freight capacity: there is no present or projected need for additional air freight capacity to the extent claimed by the consortium RSP.
  4. The consortium - RSP: its financial backing is insufficiently documented and it has no experience of running a successful airport (although there is some history of failed airports). No other bidder has come forward with a proposal to reopen Manston and run it as a cargo hub, which suggests no one else seriously thinks Manston is viable. It has failed as an airport several times before, in part because of its geographical isolation and in part through bad management – and some of that management is now part of RSP.
  5. Pollution: the level of flights projected by RSP would cause very serious pollution, including extensive noise pollution. RSP’s possible plan for many night flights would disrupt the sleep of thousands of people.
  6. Effect on Ramsgate: the seaside resort of Ramsgate, which for many years suffered a serious economic downturn, is since the closure of Manston airport experiencing rejuvenation. Restaurants, bars and cafes are thriving, bringing much-needed prosperity to the town. However, they all sit under the flight path, as does its excellent beach popular with families. Ramsgate’s resurgence and economy would be destroyed were Manston to reopen.
  7. Gulls: Ramsgate has a large colony of herring gulls, whose population nationally has plummeted in recent years. These protected birds live and nest on the rooftops and cliffs under the flight path. Not only would their habitat be at risk; even worse, they would themselves be a risk to aircraft. A plane coming down over Ramsgate would be a disaster of horrendous proportions.
  8. There has been inadequate consultation by RSP with the towns of Ramsgate and Herne Bay. Neither have local MPs (for North and South Thanet) been willing to address the concerns of local residents on the above issues.
  9. The legal owners of the site, Stone Hill Park, have drawn up imaginative plans for a mixed use development of the site which would create many more jobs than a cargo hub.
  10. Conclusion: bearing in mind all of the above, it is impossible to see Manston as a site of national significance for the air freight industry. The DCO should be rejected.