Representation by Gemma Anne Dempsey
- Date submitted
- 7 October 2018
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I am a full time resident and owner of a Grade II listed house in Spencer Square and my objections are as follows-
Noise Pollution: I bought my house due to the wonderful peace and quiet the town affords its residents. I am a Voice Over artist and Music Supervisor for Films and TV and work from home where I tape auditions as well as conduct work meetings via Skype. I listen to hours of music and using headphones is not always an option. Given that that my house would be in the flight path it would not only affect my work but the cargo night flights would keep me awake which in turn will detrimentally affect my work and personal life. Therefore my primary objection is that it would ruin my working practice and force me to consider selling my house. I mentor children from the Royal Harbour Academy and Chatham House and there is no doubt that these and other local schoolchildren will have their sleep affected, which in turn adversely affects their studies. It is well known Thanet is a deprived area so if we undermine the scholastic training of our young adults what hope do we have for them, their future and that of Ramsgate?
Tourism I add to my freelance income by renting to tourists who come to enjoy our beautiful town and it’s peaceful atmosphere. I live 2 doors from where Vincent Van Gogh lived, and many visitors come to see his house. The flight path over the Royal Harbour and our Grade II listed Conservation area would totally undermine this tourism, - who wants to have a holiday directly under a flight path? I would lose this income and it would not benefit local tourism or the property market for the same reasons.
Environmental Pollution In addition to the noise pollution there is the environmental impact. Given our geographical position the 40,000 locals to Ramsgate – and our neighbours in Thanet and Herne Bay, would inhale the by products of aviation via air particulates and the sea could be harmed by fuel dumping. Sandwich and Pegwell Bay are Nature Reserves and would be ruined by the proximity of the airport and its accompanying pollution. So my health, that of fellow residents birds and all the local wildlife would be detrimentally affected.
Lack of Faith in RSP My research shows that RSP (in terms of the individuals involved) has no successful aviation experience and I question its funding. In the past, companies with proven track records have failed to make Manston Airport a success and nothing in the credentials or the plans proposed by RSP would indicated they would do any better. It really makes me question their motives for embarking on such a folly in the first place….
Sustainable Employment We need jobs in Thanet but this development would only provide temporary employment during construction , not long term/ sustainable work. Permanent airport staff will not provide that many jobs and certainly not enough to offset all the negative impacts it would cause.
Extra Traffic on local roads The A299 is already a very busy road for locals and commuters, so this development would increase traffic and potentially lead to gridlock at rush hours due to the number and nature of vehicles at the airport - including huge lorries delivering fuel and others used in the transfer of cargo etc .This will have a negative affect on local commerce due to the ensuing delays ,and add to journey time for residents reducing time to spend with their families and negatively affecting their personal lives.
Numerous friends and neighbours who lived in the area when the airport was last in use, were unable to continue conversations when an airplane flew overhead. This is absolutely not an acceptable way to live and the council has a duty of care to make sure this situation is not repeated –whether by RSP or any other developer who think they can resuscitate the airport. Its been proven to be redundant so everyone should spend their time on finding a plan that has actual potential for success.