Representation by Francesca Alphonso
- Date submitted
- 26 September 2018
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I strongly oppose the proposed cargo hub at Manston. It will severely impact on the health and wellbeing of me and my family. Our mental health will be at risk, affecting our ability our work and family life. Our children’s development will be impacted. Our house will lose value and we will not be able to leave because we would be in negative equity. The tourism in Ramsgate will stop and the jobs that are generated through tourism gone.
The noise pollution will not only be irritating to listen to but has a huge negative impact on health. This is separate from the negative health impacts from aircraft emissions.
The following quotes are from the article ‘How noise pollution can damage your health’ in the The Independent by Stephen Stansfeld, Thursday 4 February 2016
"A study of aircraft noise around London’s Heathrow airport found that high levels of aircraft noise was associated with increased risks of hospital admission and death for stroke, coronary heart disease, and cardiovascular disease in the nearby area.
Another large study that looked at aircraft noise exposure over a much longer time period of 15 years found that deaths from heart attacks increased when the noise was louder and endured over a longer period of time. The latest estimates suggest a ten decibel average increase in aircraft noise exposure was related to an increase in high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes of between 7% and 17%."
“Another important area of noise research is the effects on children’s learning. About 20 studies have found effects of either aircraft or road traffic noise on children’s reading abilities and long-term memory. One found that aircraft noise was associated with poorer reading comprehension and memory, after taking both the children’s social position and the road traffic noise into account. In the UK, reading age was delayed by up to two months for a five decibel average increase in aircraft noise exposure.”
The referenced study, linking aircraft noise with the decline in children’s reading abilities, is: Exposure-Effect Relations between Aircraft and Road Traffic Noise Exposure at School and Reading Comprehension: The RANCH Project. American Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 163, Issue 1, 1 January 2006, Pages 27–37
As for the negative impact on health from aircraft emissions, my husband has asthma and suffers from allergies to airborne particles. His symptoms will be exacerbated and make being in the place he lives a torture. This is in the short term. In the long term our lung and cardiac health is being compromised. The following information is published on the DEFRA website, on the page title ‘Effects of Air Pollution’.
“Nitrogen Dioxide, Sulphur Dioxide, Ozone: These gases irritate the airways of the lungs, increasing the symptoms of those suffering from lung diseases” “Particles: Fine particles can be carried deep into the lungs where they can cause inflammation and a worsening of heart and lung diseases”
“Carbon Monoxide: This gas prevents the uptake of oxygen by the blood. This can lead to a significant reduction in the supply of oxygen to the heart, particularly in people suffering from heart disease”
So our health and the development of our children will suffer. The NHS is already overstreched in this area. It will not cope with ill physical and mental health problems that will be generated by this airport. Problems which are avoidable for the whole population of Ramsgate and areas surrounding the airport. This is a case of choosing possible economic gain over the well being of the people who live here. They may gain jobs in the short term but loose their health in the long term.
Further to this, we will be stuck in this here. Our properties will become unsellable. Who would want to buy a house under a flight path? Do you? The value of our house will be diminished and even if we could sell we would be in negative equity. Unable to leave – how can this lead to anything but ill mental and physical health?
The life of the seaside resort would be killed off. Tourists don’t come to have a nice time and relax by the sea and sand. Being bombarded by planes is not inviting. So the trade and business would be in decline as well as the associated jobs.
I would like to further make the point that some Ramsgate residents are not aware of the proposal at all and others do not know the implications. Those who are ambivilent to the airport are not aware of its intended use, or the flight path that the aircrafts will take. Having recently spoken to neighbours, who are not fighting against the airport, one told me that they thought the airport was going to become a a passenger airport again. Another thought that the flight path was not going to be going over our houses just over fields then the sea. Just because information is available to the public, it doesn’t mean that they will look at it. Some residents are blindly accepting this proposal without knowing of its intentions. Others do not even know there is a proposal for the airport. If people were fully aware of the implications of putting a cargo hub in Manston they might stand up and fight against it.