Representation by Lizbeth Langston
- Date submitted
- 23 September 2018
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
PROPOSED CARGO HUB AT MANSTON AND ADVERSE EFFECT ON WILDLIFE IN THE AREA
Sandwich and Pegwell Bay Nature Reserve is a Ramsar wetland site of international importance and is also an SSSI, has SAC and SPA status. It supports a wide range of wading birds, many of which are specially protected by law, such as the little tern. Many birds overwinter in large numbers, feeding on the mudflats, saltmarsh and chalk cliffs including curlews, oystercatchers, redshanks, snipe and other significant birdlife that brings joy to the thousands of visitors to the area. The proposed Manston Cargo Hub Airport will have a devastating effect on this vital area with constant noisy aircraft taking off and landing so close by. The applicants’ contour map shows regular test and training flights will go right overhead the bay (TR020002/APP/5.2-4/Vol.4/Figs 12.4, 12.6 & 12.8), also flying at low altitudes which is likely to alarm and cause birds to take fright and fly upwards, possibly even getting struck by the aircraft itself. These birds come to the area to feed and rest after long flights, many from Greenland and Canada using the place as a safe haven and a place to build their weight up again in readiness for breeding and further flight. Loud noises cause them to take flight, raising stress levels and using up energy reserves that in turn cause them to become exhausted. Exhausted birds fail to reach necessary weights to breed or be able to fly long distances again. Researchers for The Institute for Ornithological Research, Helgoland Ornithological Station state that ‘Waterfowl which take to the air because of an airplane usually stay in the air for one to three minutes, but sometimes also considerably longer. After this, it takes some time before the birds calm down again and resume their previous activity’. They also recommend that flights do not take place ‘over ice-free places of refuge for waterfowl during periods of frost.’ During the autumn and winter period, daytime hours are significantly shorter and feeding periods are reduced to a small window during the day. Birds that are constantly interrupted will not obtain enough food to survive. RSP’s own survey concludes that ‘significant levels are unlikely to occur … if all over-flights are at, or in excess of altitudes of 500m … in excess of 1km from the SPA boundary; and … is outside the 80dB (A) noise contour’ (TR020002/APP.7.4/p.53). However, Sandwich and Pegwell Bay Nature Reserve is 0.9km distance from the runway and flights overhead based on speeds of 120mph and a trajectory of 3% take off from the runway will be between 200m and 300m depending on the curvature across the bay (training flights particularly). At these altitudes, noise is unlikely to be under the 80dB range. Equally worrying is that RSP even contradict their own survey information; regarding curlews’ tolerance to aircraft disturbance; they state, ‘evidence indicates that they are an extremely wary species that does not habituate to stimuli rapidly. Considered to be highly reactive to aircraft, although some observations have shown no reactions to machinery operation or aircraft passing overhead.’ (TR020002/APP.7.4/p.51). So, which is correct? ‘highly reactive’ or unresponsive? How high were the latter aircraft flying to elicit ‘no reaction’? It would seem that RSPs survey findings are at the very least confusing and unreliable. RSP also state that ‘some degree of habituation is likely to occur, given that the aircraft departures and arrivals … will become regular and predictable’ (TR020002/APP.7.4/p.53), but as their own evidence above shows, many breeds will not adapt to the disturbance and will either leave the site permanently or die out trying to survive. In addition to the site mentioned, the surrounding Manston area is currently home to a great number of other bird species. Red kites, kestrels and sparrow hawks abound; there are lapwings which are in serious decline (down by 64%), cuckoos (56%) and skylarks (59%) but all thrive around the rich farmland area. RSP state that the hub is needed as a ‘Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project’ but it would seem that their extensive research on every other minutiae regarding the project is severely lacking in admitting the real devastation and likely end of the wonderful wildlife that abounds in the area.