Representation by Suzanne Horne
- Date submitted
- 6 October 2018
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I strongly object to the ridiculous plans for the former Airport. I live a stone’s throw from the end of the runaway and do not want a 24/7 freight airport, recycling centre or night flights. The airport has been run by several companies since the RAF, none made a profit as it’s clearly in the wrong location. I don’t understand why Riveroak didn’t purchase the Airport when up for sale and why they didn’t do what was asked when Thanet District Council was prepared to try a CPO. I do not trust anything that comes from this American company, registered in Belize, headed up by [Redacted] (who has had a string of failed attempts at running airports - Manston being one of them)! I also cannot understand how our 2 local MPs can support this (one owns an airline, and the other has stated that he is concerned for the air quality that his grandson breathes 9.5 miles from Heathrow, and yet he doesn’t seem to care about the air that his constituents would breathe, despite them living a lot closer than 9.5 miles from Manston)!
I don’t relish the idea of dirty old aircraft on their last legs flying in over Ramsgate or Herne Bay, to be dismantled at Manston, nor do I relish the idea of constant Freight planes flying in by day and (especially) night.
When Infratil was running the former airport, I was often woken throughout the night by planes flying in and out (which I assume was for humanitarian relief, as they weren’t allowed night flights). I can see the runway from my garden and do not want to go back to having planes sitting on the runway with their engines running for often 10-15 minutes, night or day, whilst my bungalow is shaking and rattling around me (and smelling of aviation fuel) until they eventually take off. If Riveroak and their supporters think for one moment that people will get used to this many times throughout the night, they are seriously mistaken and I suspect (unlike me) have likely not directly experienced this before. How would I and others function and focus on our jobs or at school when sleep deprived? This would become unbearable and so detrimental to the quality of our lives. All cons with no pros!
I’m very concerned about the constant smell of aviation fuel that I would suffer living so close to this airport, I would not be able to ever have my doors and windows open, or sit out in my garden (which would be a nightmare especially during hot summers like the one we have just had) without my health being seriously affected. I’m also very concerned about the damage that would likely be caused to my bungalow through the constant vibrations that you really would have to experience yourself to truly understand the impact of. These plans are madness, please do not allow them to come to fruition.