Representation by Mrs Karen C.L Reich
- Date submitted
- 4 October 2018
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
APPLICATION TO BECOME AN “INTERESTED PARTY”
I have known what it is to live under a flight path after which I vowed to myself I would never subject myself to that again. That was without night flights and cargo planes, so I cannot imagine how I would cope with the 24/7 cargo hub proposition.
My house hunt began on the eve of Brexit and took me two years of painstaking, diligent research while I lived in rented accommodation in Westgate-on-Sea. I was drawn to Thanet for its peaceful coastline, quiet neighbourhoods, and relative affordability. My viewings took me initially to Rye, but then concentrated in Kent along the stretch from Whitstable and Herne Bay to Birchington, Westgate, Margate, Palm Bay, Broadstairs, and Ramsgate.
In that time I considered many different angles, honing my priorities to include: price; a house rather than a flat; quiet; proximity to the sea; cliff-top and beach walks; good transport links - esp. train connections for London and local bus networks, historical interest, local infrastructure – i.e. health food shops, quality supermarkets, banks, varied range of local retail shops, cafes, restaurants, galleries, a growing influx of professional people from London, a sense of renewal, etc;
Increasingly, I found myself looking in Ramsgate.
At no point during my search was I aware of RSP’s plans to revive Manston Airport .
Only as I was about to complete on my present home in Ramsgate did I learn of the RSP application for a DCO. I immediately called a halt to the proceedings in order to investigate the matter in greater detail. I signed on with the Planning Inspectorate to be kept informed of any developments, I spoke to local residents, and I examined the history online.
When RSP withdrew their initial application at the last minute, and SHP announced their own plans to develop the site, I believed the situation was in good hands and would be resolved satisfactorily. I went ahead with the purchase of my home in Ramsgate.
That the Planning Inspectorate then turned around and accepted a second application from RSP for examination was a most unwelcome shock. Suddenly all my efforts, my investment, and my hopes to secure a peaceful retirement stood to be shattered.
Subsequent revelations as to road traffic implications, the prospect of unscheduled and uncontrolled night flights with their excessive noise levels over a densely occupied area, the questions surrounding finance and off-shore accounts, and the unlikely benefits to be had by the local community in terms of revenue and employment all left me feeling quite betrayed.
I was excited to join an up-and-coming community, accommodating more and more professional people, developing decent housing, school, medical, high-tech business, and leisure facilities. I hoped to contribute my own skills.However difficult a new start would be for me, I will not stay, and others will not come either, if the cargo airport goes ahead.