Representation by Mrs Ann Burrows
- Date submitted
- 6 October 2018
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Our bungalow is directly under the flight path of jets flying into Manston airport. When we moved here we only had occasional flights as the airport was still MOD. The area was not knowingly blighted by an airport. We would not have moved here if it had been. When past commercial flights increased, the noise we experienced was very disturbing on account of the aircraft being so low, wheels already down. I am objecting to a DCO being granted to re-open the airport for the following reasons. (1) RSP have not communicated to me or any my near neighbours directly regarding the environmental negative impacts of their project. As we would be so adversely affected should they have done so? (2) If the government have not made any policy statements that the UK needs a new freight airport, and authoritative reports predict no future growth in the need for air freight flights, can RSPs application demonstrate a clear and compelling need for a DCO to be granted? (3) I am concerned over the issue of night flights. RSP and the MP [Redacted] consistently say that they are not necessary or wanted except for emergency. They use the word scheduled and avoid using unscheduled, which would be as bad or worse. The constriction on night flights by the past Labour Thanet Council administration has been used as a reason for past commercial failure at Manston. Is the application being clear that viability is dependant on sufficiently unrestricted night flights? (4) I have been reading online about RSPs application. I am concerned that they are underestimating noise predictions with inaccurate methods. Also they would look at increasing flights over Herne Bay to alleviate noise over Ramsgate. If that were possible, why was it not done before? Is misleading information being given on the application to lessen perceived environmental impacts? (5) Is the project exaggerated beyond the remit of a DCO?