Representation by ceri diffley
- Date submitted
- 7 October 2018
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I do not want this cargo Hub. I think it is a land grab. I think it will be detrimental to the local economy, our students, our environment, our tourism. I doubt it economically feasible and question RSP's motive. I am writing again as I did not recieve a confirmation email and so am worried my submission was not received before.
Children's education and Health - As a local resident and teacher I am extremely concerned about the number of proposed flights, day and night and their disruption on the sleep and education of our local children, including my own child. With schools directly under the flight path and resident living so close to the runway, this must have a negative impact. Indeed when the planes were here before, I was walking through Ramgsate, by CCG school, one day and a cargo plane flew over. It was so close and loud, I actually spontaneously crouched down in the pavement, as if in a war zone. As the aircraft past, chemicals rained down all over me. It was a very scary event, and this proposal wants that all the time. I dread to think of the continuous impact of that on young people.
Tourism/local economy/ nature - these are all together as we are place of natural beauty and a tourist destination, with a thriving tourist industry growing faster than elsewhere in the UK. Thanet is already and area of social deprivation, pulling itself up and this proposal will just ruin that. What about the £4 million Wetherspoons investment, or the proposed Harbour Village or the Heritage work. That will be wasted, and I heard the waste water is planned to outlet in Pegwell Bay, a place of international nature significance with many rare and endangered species. Let alone the carbon monoxide from the planes and lorries taking cargo and bringing fuel. All this will negatively affect thousands of jobs in the area and waste recent investment.
Landgrab - The only thing that makes this proposal bearable is the suspicion that is may actually only be a landgrab exercise. The airport has not be financially viable in the past and RSP have not even demonstrated they have the necessary money to invest in the airport. It would appear it is a UK shell Company with control hidden in the Belizean Tax Haven, and depending on raising the finance AFTER the DCO is granted. There is not a shortage of freight opportunities elsewhere and other longer, more suitable locations (not with sea ¾ around it) with better transport links, and yet, they have requested the Northern Grass Zone to build houses on with their submission. It’s meant to be a DCO that the nation needs cargo freight (which it doesn’t), so why would Trevor Freudman finally get the land for houses he has seemingly been after for so long?. You need to look into the History of it. At least the SHP proposal had infrastructure, and schools and facilities.