Representation by Peter Campbell
- Date submitted
- 11 September 2018
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Object to the DCO on these grounds I understand that a DCO must be based on evidence of sustainability and national strategic need. Neither of these criteria are true of this application. Here have been two reports into the viability and sustainability of a cargo hub, with ancillary activities, at the Manston site. Both the Aviva solutions and the York aviviation reports stated that as a cargo hub, Manston is unsustainable. Indeed the author of the Aviva report stated “that his organisation usually did these reports for investment groups if that were the case then he would have to advise its not to invest one penny in this project, even though they had bent over backwards to make it work” The owners of the site Stone Hill Park have Planning application that, for mixed development use. This would provide 2500 homes, with the necessary support infrastructure, plus employment opportunities. All this would be lost if the DCO were to be granted. Thereby requiring those 2500 being allocated largley on grade 1 agricultural land.
The DCO is based upon the notion that a “cargo hub” at Manston is sustainable and a strategic requirement for the country. This notion is not evidence based. Thanet District Council, as part of the construction of its Local Plan, commissioned a full dome report on Manston in order to discover whether a “cargo hub” on that site was evidence based and sustainable. The company they chose to carry out this investigation were Ariva Aviation. They reported that, even though they had “bent over backwards” to make Riveroakes proposal to work, they coiuld not. The consultant further stated “that reports like this were usually carried out for investment houses,not councils. However if you were an investment house I would have to advise you to not invest a single penny in this project”