Representation by Mr Philip James Neale
- Date submitted
- 14 September 2018
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
From the information I have gathered since moving to Ramsgate 5 years ago. There is absolutely nothing to suggest that a airport is viable at Manston especially when you offset the amount of people that will be affected by being under the flight path. As a carpenter I see how there is hundreds of thousands, if not millions of pounds being invested in housing and businesses in the Ramsgate area. The ending of the flights over Ramsgate came as a relief shortly after we arrived here. I have seen a massive explosion in investment in the area and I believe that returning to Daily flights would severely effect this. May I remind you that as the only Royal Harbour in the country we are in unique position to capitalise in the growing stay at home leisure market. The Port of Ramsgate when I moved here was surrounded by empty old industrial units under the victorian arches. In the last 5 years as the heavy industry has moved out the tourists and artists and entrepreneurs have moved in. Its been a success which characterises the new economy on the Kent coast. The Cargo hub being proposed is in the wrong location. The run way is directly behind Ramsgate therefore all the planes have to decend low over the town.
I cannot understand why you are even entertaining destroying the future prosperity of Ramsgate when the regeneration of seaside towns like Ramsgate should surely be a high priority. Supporting a failed airport which has NEVER been proved to be a sustainable option when we have capacity at airports much better connected to the rest of the UK seems nonsensical What we need is housing and business units to help the economy expand organically as it is doing already. There is growth in both tourism and off-shore wind. There is no one I know in central Ramsgate that want or would accept being under the flight path to a cargo hub.
kind regards
Philip Neale