Representation by Self-employed Against Manston Cargo Hub (Self-employed Against Manston Cargo Hub)
- Date submitted
- 5 October 2018
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
We are a community group made up of independent professionals and the self-employed.
Our focus for this submission is to challenge the economic gain of the proposed cargo hub and to balance this with our concerns regarding the potential negative effects on the growth of the self-employed and independent professional sector in and around Ramsgate.
We believe our contribution provides a sustainable source of regeneration for a region desperate for jobs and investment.
RSP’s proposal, far from creating economic opportunity, would destroy it.
[Redacted], previously the Leader of Thanet District Council stated the following:
“Even a cursory glance at airport employment patterns, tells you that significant numbers of jobs are only created by passenger traffic. They are in security, parking, transit movement, retail and catering”.
RSP say there will be thousands of jobs when they open a 24/7-cargo hub at Manston. The truth is, an operation of this nature is more likely to be heavily automated.
Historically, the airport employed no more than 150 people (mostly part-time and low skilled jobs).
SHP has a £1 billion, mixed use plan for the site, creating 4,000 jobs in the process.
In our group we have a number of people involved in digital communications, the music industry, as well as trainers who use webinar and virtual platforms to service global clients. In addition, we have a large plant and machinery worker, a copywriter, a biotech specialist, a reiki practitioner and a silversmith. It’s also important to note that there are many self-employed people regenerating Ramsgate through the arts (all forms particularly the visual arts). We represent a diverse group of professionals, sharing one major concern: our work, our health and wellbeing would be devastated by the noise and air pollution that would come from a 24/7 cargo hub.
RSP has proposed no enforceable cap on the number of ATM’s, nor have they put any cap on the number of night flights, only an overall noise quota of 3028 QC points per annum.
The disruption would cause major concern for this group, as follows:
• Contact with clients and customers through the day and night by phone and Skype would be impossible.
• Operating cutting, fine tools and machinery requires absolute focus and would be compromised by potential lack of sleep and exhaustion from night flights.
• Art projects using the natural environment and heritage would be decimated.
• Running international webinars in different time zones at different times of day and night would be impossible.
• Clients would go elsewhere rather than visit a noisy room or work space.
Alarmingly, over 86% of our group say that they would leave the area (if they could afford to), as the risk to their livelihoods would be too great.
The risk to Ramsgate is that it would lose a growing entrepreneurial base already bringing money into the local area, using local suppliers and up to now, encouraging others to follow.
The economic and cultural loss to the area is incalculable; the devastation wrought by a 24/7-cargo hub is unimaginable.