Representation by Friends of Albion Place Gardens (Friends of Albion Place Gardens)
- Date submitted
- 30 September 2018
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
As the representative of the Friends of Albion Place gardens I submit our opposition to the requested DCO for a cargo hub at Manston Airport.
Albion Place Gardens is sited on the hill approaching the east cliff of Ramsgate from the town centre overlooking the Royal Harbour and directly under the flight path used by planes before Manston Airport ceased to function as an airport. Were the airport to reopen, it would be directly under the flight path once again.
The Gardens are used by a variety of people from school children in their lunch hours, mothers with toddlers and/or babies in prams, residents of all ages who want to take in the air and the view at weekends and the retired who go there for the view and to speak to others and at all times by dog walkers. Used in the main by people who have no private outside space and/or who suffer from isolation. The gardens therefore provide much needed psychological support and sense of well being to a cross section of residents.
A busy garden which although not on the scale of a park, is very heavily used and currently maintained by a group of volunteers who are local residents.
The noise of cargo airplanes taking off or landing and flying just a few hundred feet above the Gardens would make it impossible for anyone to enjoy this outside space because of the noise. Indeed, even the profoundly deaf would be aware of the overhead flights as the vibrations are considerable from planes flying so low at that point.
Although we are sure Government has technical data on what pollution is created by cargo planes flying low on approach or take off, we do not have it to hand. However, it is clear that there would be pollution. The pollution, together with the noise, would make it deleterious for anyone to use outside space, be it public or private gardens anyway near the flight path over Ramsgate.
Ramsgate is an area that benefits from pleasant weather the majority of the year, thereby attracting many holiday makers, both from the UK and other countries. Tourism contributes greatly to the income of the Ramsgate economy and provides many jobs. The creation of a cargo hub at Manston risks the tourist industry and the jobs it provides and yet will not replace the lost jobs. Some of the figures quoted by RSP of projected jobs to be created are, frankly, plucked out of thin air and have no basis in fact or sensibly projected figures. Neither can we see evidence of the financial rigour that is required to see the project through or evidence that the business model can be successful.
The cargo hub project intended for Manston Airport risks the physical, psychological and economic health of Ramsgate and its people, in return for a risky, badly financed and badly thought out plan.
We ask that the DCO be refused.