Representation by Rebekah Smith
- Date submitted
- 4 October 2018
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I am writing to express my concerns about the proposed development of Manston submitted by RSP. There are many issues I have with its proposal including the difficulty in understanding their vast amount of documentation which was repetitive and complicated for a layperson and their public consultations which were woefully lacking in answers to difficult questions regarding staffing levels, noise, night flights and independent evidence of a need for a cargo hub. My main concern however, having read the documentation to the best of my (limited) ability is about the potential of a large amount of night flights which would have a devastating impact on Ramsgate residents and our burgeoning tourism economy of which I am part of. I am aware that the Government’s National Policy Statement (2018) on airport capacity in the South East notes that potential negative effects such as noise levels are to be taken seriously which is why I am hopeful that PINS will scrutinise this particular part of RSP’s proposals and take into account the high number of residents and visitors that this will impact upon. RSP’s documents are unclear on the amount of ATMs they are proposing; on the one hand they state they will be capable of handling 83,000 freight ATMs annually but on the other hand they suggest that 17.000 is more likely. Equally, the QC of 3028 they are applying for to cover potential night flights is also confusing when further research suggest this could mean well over (three times) their own environmental assessment which was based on 8 flights a night (which is still a very worrying figure for the residents of Ramsgate). Having owned a B&B in Ramsgate for 12 years I am well aware of the noise from aircraft and before the airport closed in 2014, it had some negative impact on my business. Occasionally, when the planes flew overhead, I would have to stop conversation on the phone, which, if it was an enquiry, needless to say, would not result in a booking. However, my business has thrived and can take the ‘odd hit’ caused by a poorly timed phone call! More worrying though were occasions when guests came down for breakfast having been disturbed by relatively small planes that had flown overhead around 7am. I remember one guest stating he was woken by a roaring noise, looked out of the window and thought the plane coming towards him was going to hit the house as it was flying so low! These flights were not even that early or noisy in comparison to the potential freight aircraft that might fly over our B&B so I am certain that night flights would destroy my business and with the ubiquitous use of Trip Advisor, word would get out very quickly that Ramsgate is no longer ‘visitor friendly’. I am hopeful that PINS will take into account the grave concerns about the economic and environmental impact this proposal could have on Ramsgate and that you come to the conclusion that this proposal does not stand up to scrutiny.