Representation by Samantha Holmans Thompson
- Date submitted
- 22 September 2018
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
We wish to object in the strongest possible terms to RSP's proposal for a cargo hub based out of Manston, on the grounds of negative impact on health, education, the environment and our burgeoning tourism industry, as well as the safety implications of so many proposed take offs and landing over the densely populated town of Ramsgate, which lies directly under the flight path.
As a resident of Ramsgate with previous experience of cargo flights during the operations by Infratil, we can attest to the serious disruption caused, especially by night time operation. We believe if this development is allowed to proceed it will cause irreconcilable damage to our residents' health (as outlined in a report by the World Health Organisation), our children's ability to learn and their educational opportunities going forward, and the local economy which has prospered as a tourist destination since the closure of Manston as an operational airport.
RSP's proposal for the development of the former airfield site at Manston is seriously lacking in a variety of information and puts forward a number of projections that are highly unrealistic. A number of independent reports have concluded that Manston is not viable as an operational airport, be it focused on cargo or passenger transport. It is clearly geographically limited and the proposal is unrealistic at a time when the air cargo sector is in decline, as reported by the British International Freight Association. The projection of jobs for the area are overinflated as job opportunities with airports only really materialise within the service sector for passenger operations and do not take into account the damage that will be done to a growing tourism economy in Thanet, which would undoubtedly be blighted by a 24hr cargo airport operation, leading to job losses.
The environmental impact of the airport is laughably downplayed, displaying particulate pollution only around the airport itself. Are these planes only using their engines within the confines of the airport? Also, the practice of averaging noise pollution levels is seriously misleading. At the consultation, when the quota of night flights applied for was questioned it was always rebuffed with "only ever 8 flights a night", yet the Quota Count figures they are applying for well exceed 8 flights per night.
This proposal will be a blight on the towns of Ramsgate and Herne Bay and will ultimately be a burden for the whole of Kent, with increased traffic movements across the county and negative environmental and health impacts in East Kent and beyond. Please do not enforce this hell upon us.