Representation by Shirley Weller
- Date submitted
- 13 September 2018
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I do not support a freight hub/airport at Manston.
Several airline companies have already tried to make Manston a viable business and have been unsuccessful. Huge debts have arisen at each attempt. There apparently has been no national decision for a freight airport in East Kent .
The investors apparently can still not give evidence of funding.
Noise I have experienced the noise in Ramsgate when freight planes used to fly into Manston. You had to stop talking and cover your ears. The planes were so low, they felt as though they were going to crash into the cliff, or cliff top buildings. Ramsgate is developing as an excellent tourist destination, with an outdoor cafe culture around the harbour, and on the side of the hill going up the cliff. The tourism industry is helping lift Ramsgate out of the deprived seaside town category. Ramsgate is also a centre for the outdoor activity industry: sailing, kiting, windsurfing, canoeing, cycling, walking, and boat trips. The local nature reserves are protected by Kent Wildlife Trust. All this will be in jeopardy if an airport is opened at Manston, because outdoor activities cannot be enjoyed with the amount of noise freight planes would bring. The few jobs that would be available at the airport would not compensate for the loss of jobs in the tourist sector.
The noise does not just affect Ramsgate. My parents live in St Nicholas at Wade, and when the planes flew overhead, again you could not hear other people speak.
Local environmental issue The damage to the area is not just about the quantity of aeroplanes that will be coming and going. Many lorries would be needed to accommodate the freight from each plane. The quantity of additional large distribution lorries on the local roads, and subsequent roads through Kent would add further stress to the current road systems. The local roads would be inadequate and there would be no place for the lorry drivers to rest.
If the freight is to be transferred around the country, the freight owners surely would prefer to distribute from a more central place, than east Kent?