Representation by Linda Koch
- Date submitted
- 28 September 2018
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
As a resident of Ramsgate and the owner of a house that is immediately under the proposed flight path (South Eastern Road), I strongly object to a cargo hub, or any type of airport, at Manston. As a parent of two children who attend schools underneath the flight path, I have serious concerns about the detrimental impact of Manston airport on my children's health, development, well-being and education. As a scientist, I know that research has consistently revealed negative health effects of noise and air pollution arising from airports; I have lived in my current home since 2012, when the former airport was in use, and so have first-hand knowledge of how loud, smelly and disruptive even a few flights are. In addition, night flights would disrupt sleep, and lack of sleep is also known to significantly worsen health and quality of life. Furthermore, final approach and landing is when essentially half of all fatal aviation accidents from 1959 through 2016 have occurred, so any accident upon approaching or landing over Ramsgate could kill my family and destroy my home. An airport at Manston would have a considerable negative impact on the value of my property and the wider property market as well as on regeneration in Ramsgate. Tourism, which is currently underlying much of the positive developments in Ramsgate, would be negatively affected by Manston airport, as would the environment. Commissioned independent expert advice from multiple sources has found consistently that Manston airport would not be viable. Moreover, the applicant, RSP, lacks financial credibility and any experience of running airports successfully. Also, I fail to see how the airport’s location could be deemed to be of national significance, nor how the logistics of moving freight from the furthest southeastern point of the UK to the rest of the country, which will negatively affect traffic and transport infrastructures, can be cost-effective.