Representation by Jean Mancini
- Date submitted
- 4 October 2018
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I have been a resident of Ramsgate for 15 years, living under the flightpath - including when the airport was functioning. When cargo planes came in the flightpath took them over the pleasure beach and High Street, over 5 schools - 2 secondary and 3 primary. The noise was often so great in the town that one could not talk during the flyover. Apart from the noise I have witnessed fuel being dumped metres from the beach and also over the Nethercourt area adjacent to the airport. In the present times of climate change it will have a damaging effect of not being able to open windows because of noise - particularly at night. Does anyone want to live in a world where you are totally closed in.
Effect on children and education I urge you to read WHO Community Guidelines - Burden of Disease from Environmental Noise - Quantification of Healthy Life Years lost in Europe. There is sufficient evidence for a negative effect of aircraft noise exposed on children's cognitive skills such as reading and memory. This is backed up in the USA scientific research journal Noise and Health (Mar-Apr 2017) 'Aviation noise impacts. State of the Science'. Both these publications, plus many others, conclude that there is a severe detrimental effect of aircraft noise on children's learning - ultimately ruining many people's health. Soundproofing does not prevent vibration which is equally disruptive to health. And in the present times of climate change not being able to open windows will be of no health benefit.
Ramsgate is in one, if not the most, deprived areas of the South East. We must not allow our children to suffer further deprivation of education and importantly sleep, for the profit of an unknown company with no history of managing airports. Several attempts by reputable companies to run the airport have all failed.
We have been misled at two of the RSP roadshows in that we were told that categorically there would be no night flights. The applicant states that they will be capable of 83,000 freight ATMs and enforces no cap on the number of ATMs. This can only mean night flights will take place