Representation by Gary Easton
- Date submitted
- 17 September 2018
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I fully support the DCO to re-open as an airport. This is not an application to build an airport on the green belt, Manston airport has been in existence as an aviation site since 1918 and has been a great service to the Nation and the local economy. I was born in Ramsgate and know how hard it has been economically in Thanet over the years. Airports are possibly the finest generators of employment and prosperity any community can have as shown by the amount of direct and ancillary jobs at our major airports. With the imminent departure of the UK from the EU, Manston will be vital for the economic well being of the nation, especially with Manston's position so close to Europe. It would be madness to lose a runway of over 9000 ft which is longer than many of the UK's major airports, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds Bradford and Luton to name but a few when we have the on going controversy of building another runway at Heathrow or Gatwick. Not only will there be incredible economic benefits for reinstating Manston but environmental reasons also. The population of Thanet is 140,000 and I suspect for East Kent it would approach 400.000, all of these people have to travel to Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted to take flights, if Manston was re-opened many of these people could fly from their local airport, saving many car and coach journeys on the overcrowded M25 and supporting motorways. In short it is vital Manston Airport re-opens for future of East Kent and the Nation as a whole. Regards Gary Easton my ref MAN-058