Representation by Mrs Annie Webster
- Date submitted
- 6 October 2018
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
MANSTON is designated as an airport. I have attended all RSP's (RiverOak Strategic Partners Ltd) presentations and responded to their consultations. I am excited by their plans and impressed at the commitment they are showing to this project and to our area. In every poll taken a majority of people have supported keeping MANSTON as an airport. Manston is in the Isle of Thanet, an impoverished area, with the highest unemployment for 16-24yr olds in Kent. Manston Airport would provide apprenticeships, training and jobs for our young people. Manston will provide STEM Engineering opportunities and attract skilled aircraft technicians and engineers, as well as new businesses to the area. Manston Airport should be removed from the TDC Brown Field Register; I fear the threat of 4,000 houses being built there - a drain on precious resources such as water and sewage and adding to the demand on our hospital, dentists, schools, surgeries etc. and the congestion and pollution of maybe 6,000 extra cars making 2-3 journeys a day would, in my view, be far worse than the number of flights predicted in RSP's exciting and promising plans for our future (bringing much-needed hope of increased wealth and prosperity for the area). I want goods and people to fly in and out of Manston to support business and the tourist industry. Passenger flights from MANSTON would save time and pollution - avoiding travel by road to LGW and LHR; saving a 3 hr journey plus having to arrive 2 or 3 hours early; paying for fuel/parking/train/taxi or hotel adding to the expense of the journey. Opening Manston as a cargo hub (and passenger flights) will free up other London airports for extra passenger flights. Manston has one of the longest runways in the country; Concorde used to land and take-off here, Virgin used it for pilot training; most of the landing and take off paths in and out of the airport are over the sea - another plus meaning less noise and pollution overhead. As a cargo hub, Manston has an excellent record regarding loading and unloading cargo with especially quick turnarounds of shipments. With Manston open, cargo companies could be persuaded to re-route from Heathrow or Gatwick which would then free up space at those airports. I believe we have 10 years to wait for extra run-ways to be built at LHR at a cost of some billions of pounds; here we have a run-way already! To me there are so many advantages for keeping and maintaining this airport - strategically, defensively and in terms of transport and infrastructure. Our airport has proud historical significance too in terms of both MANSTON AIRPORT MUSEUMS, both world wars, the Battle of Britain, and the RAF. KLM never wanted to leave us! We are 30 minutes from Holland here and SCHIPHOL is an international hub for onward flights; we are indoors 20 minutes after landing - putting the kettle on! We live in Ramsgate directly under the flight-path and sometimes wave to the pilot overhead! A businessman beside me said this was his 3rd flight to the continent from Ramsgate and he much preferred it to flights via Paris! We were devastated when our council sold our airport for £1. We are fighting to save and KEEP our airport and, with the promised investment and evident commitment of RSP we believe it can achieve its potential.