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Representation by Elaine Harris

Date submitted
3 October 2018
Submitted by
Members of the public/businesses

As a supporter and campaigner for the reopening of Manston Airport since it’s closure in 2014, I cannot support the DCO proposal put forward by RSP.

  1. The American based RiverOak Investment Corp., firstly applied for a CPO with Thanet District Council they were turned down by two administrations Labour and then UKIP for not being able to have proof of funds or a business plan to support the venture, it would appear they still do not have proof of funds, nor a viable business plan in the eyes of any independent report.

  2. They could/would not produce a 20 year plan during CPO negotiations; but somehow have managed it with the DCO.

  3. Like many others my support was for a regional airport, air shows and historical retention of the airport (airfield) not a 24/7 major cargo hub… why do the proposed ATMs so far exceed the mandatory 10000 ATMs required for an NSIP?

  4. RSP have applied for night flights and with a proposed 19 stands which equates to tens of thousands of flights, it is obvious they are planning to move cargo day and night, I dread to think of the consequences in store for us on an Isle as small as Thanet. North Thanet MP Sir Roger Gale who champions RSP says there will not be scheduled night flights, however scheduled is passenger of which RSP have no intention of having any (for the first few years anyway)…cargo is charter and therein lies the lie about there being no need for night flights…Sir Roger and RSP seem to be working in tandem on this and both are being evasive!

  5. The Museums, and the Memorial Gardens are of vital importance to the history of the airfield, I don’t believe they will be safe and retained under the DCO. It was noted that one of the Directors George Yerrall recently commented, “ We are promising to safeguard their position, as before, but have now made it clear that any future development consent relating to either museum would be a matter for Thanet District Council rather that PINS”. Nobody seems sure what this means, especially as at least one museum has been gifted their land by the current owners. It is a typical example of the equivocal, if not downright underhand, approach to PR on this whole subject.

  6. I find it questionable why they also want to DCO the Northern Grass , it isn’t airside and the DCO is supposed to be for the airport…Northern Grass is not the airport!

  7. Only one of the directors has any airport experience and that is Tony Freudman… any airport business he has been involved in has consistently failed drastically. So if he and his colleagues acquire the airport through a DCO and it fails, which, with his track record is quite likely…what then happens to the airport?