Representation by Mrs Jeanne Smythe
- Date submitted
- 3 October 2018
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
1> I support the Manston Airport revival, and I reject the decimating house building alternatives.
2> The Airfield site and its historical significance will be lost for future generations, in fact it should be given a protected listed status.
3> With “Brexit” in sight, More Air capacity will be needed.
4> The Airport has always been very important as a commercial Cargo hub into the UK
5> If the promised plans are implemented, i.e. Railway extended to the terminal, it would mean fewer transport lorries on our congested roads out of Thanet.
6> Pathways of Aircraft would be mainly over the sea
7> Thanet is already overdeveloped outstripping the resources available (Water, Sewerage, Electricity, Roads, Hospitals & Schools), all of which are already running well over capacity.
8> Shortage of Doctors & Dentist & Teachers is already evident, More houses will add to the burden.
9> Employment in Thanet is critically low, and large employers like Pfizer have left the area leaving a substantial jobs vaccum and the "Discovery Park" site left behind is now mostly empty shutdown buildings with hardly any business uptake, so it could be reconfigured for "affordable living spaces" to resolve the housing issues without needing to build on Manston Airport.its housing crisis.
10> Maintaining an Airport is critical for Thanet's future since it is clear that Heathrow & Gatwick are overcrowded and too expensive for Cargo and small airline operators, so Manston still has a chance to attract business if funded properly.
11> The last few owners of Manston Airport did not invest in road or buildings infrastructure to attract serious business, which is why it remained an unattractive option.
12> I object most strongly to Manston Airport being cynically rebranded as “StonePark” because someone of my generation with WW2 family RAF history feels bitterly betrayed that such an important significance is reduced to a marketing ploy to erase the history, sacrifice and loss that so many families suffered.