Representation by Sherlock Aaron Oldale
- Date submitted
- 7 October 2018
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I’m writing to ask PINS to reject RSP’s project for the following reasons.
Viablity:
Long history of failure - Manson Airport never made a profit or broke even. In fact, it has lost over £100 million over its near 20 year private commercial history. PINS will already be aware of this fact.
RSP say that it will make money, no-one else does. All the indépendant feasibility studies conclude that an airport at Manston is a non starter. PINS has already been made aware in fine detail why RSP’s viability methodology is critically flawed by York Aviation. Such is York Aviation’s pedigree they are regularly commissioned by the governement themselves so it would seem very odd to dismiss their input in favour of the applicants ‘in house expert’ who appears to never have been.
PINS will already be aware of the fact that there is no shortage of dedicated air freight capacity in the Southeast. It would be very odd for PINS to grant an application to create extra capacity where it is not required. Factual evidence should form much of PINS decisions.
Pollution:
In the event that RSP are correct in their projections and the entire aviation industry moves 70% of their dedicated freighter business from well established hubs with centralised transport infrastructure to a peninsula on the Isle of Thanet with none, the air borne pollution (especially PM 2.5 and less) would shorten residents lives and cause disease. This not acceptable. The noise pollution would make residents lives a living hell for all but the hardest of hearing. This is not acceptable.
National Significance:
Manston Airport was never of any significance on a national level in the past and due to there being no shortage of dedicated air freight capacity in a very stable flat market, it never will be. PINS is already aware of this and this should form part of their judgment.
Manston Airport is being rented by the government (currently until 31st December 2019) as an overspill lorry park in the event of Operation Stack. The Secretary of State has deemed the Manston Aerodrome as being suitable for such purpose. With each day that passes it seems more likely that this lorry park will be of vital national importance come March 2019 when Britain prepares to leave the EU.
PINS has been made aware of the critical flaws in RSP’s proposal making it seem highly likely that a decision in favour of RSP be overturned at Judical Review. This would be a criminal waste on the public purse and unnecessary continuation of the blight that RSP have already caused with their fact defying proposed scheme.