Representation by Chris Welch
- Date submitted
- 7 October 2018
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Why am I interested in this matter? My wife and I have owned a house on the East Cliff of Ramsgate for over 10 years. We run it as a holiday let. We let it out about 26 weeks of the year and use it ourselves for part of the remaining time. We are very interested in the regeneration of Ramsgate and have been active in various local regeneration initiatives.
The airport was operating when we bought our house, although the number of flights was very small. At the time it seemed highly unlikely the airport would grow in size, or even survive. So we had no inkling that we would find that our property would be under the flight path of a major cargo airport.
If the DCO were to be granted, we can see no future for tourism in Ramsgate and we would sell our house.
My representations will be as follows:
1 There is no current or long term need for greatly increased air cargo capacity within the South-East (or in the UK as a whole);
2 Even if there was such a need, a new dedicated air cargo hub (as opposed to other means) is not the best way of dealing with it;
3 Even if is there was such a need Manston is definitely not a suitable site or location for that air cargo hub;
4 The applicant, RSP, does not have a robust, sustainable 'stress tested' business plan that demonstrates that the airport would have short, medium, and long-term commercial viability;
Indeed – quite the reverse.
Some of those involved in the bid have failed in previous attempts to run a successful airport on this site so their representations need particular scrutiny- and fail that scrutiny conspicuously.
Also, the (well documented) mendacious approach taken by RSP to the public consultations around this proposal show that RSP lacks the basic standards of business ethics expected of UK business people. For that reason alone, RSP should not be granted a DCO.
5 That the adverse impacts and damage to population health, well-being, educational attainment, natural environment, built environment, heritage assets, culture and economy through noise, air pollution, safety risks and congestion stemming from the planned scale of airport operation grossly outweigh any local, regional or national benefits that might be derived by the proposed airport /cargo hub.