Representation by Nikki Hildesley
- Date submitted
- 8 October 2018
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I am writing to you to express my concerns over the intended reintroduction of an airport at Manston in Thanet Kent.
I have lived in Thanet for 9 years and clearly remember the time when aircraft frequently flew directly over my house in Ramsgate blocking out the light to my courtyard garden and causing high levels of noise and air pollution. Since the airport closed in 2014, the town of Ramsgate has experienced more people moving into the area, businesses popping up everywhere and a surge in local tourism. Ramsgate is a very unusual historical town with around 450 listed sites and buildings and 4 conservation areas. Since 2017 Ramsgate has been deemed a Heritage Action Zone by Historic England, one of the first and the only one in South East England. The aim of HAZ is to use the towns assetts to acheive a sustainable economic growth. None of this info has been alluded to in the applicants application. All these benefits will be put at risk if the airport comes back into business and aircraft pollute the Ramsgate skies.Thanet is a beautiful place to live where people live peacefully by the sea and can enjoy the vast amounts of history and nature around us. Even 8 planes a day and 8 planes a night will ruin this life that we all enjoy. My concern is that noise pollution will affect all of our sleep and this will cause unnecessary stress for those of us who work and are in education in Ramsgate. I have three young children who all go to school in Ramsgate under the flight path. The noise and pollution will certainly affect their development and mental health. I do not want my children to be constantly tired and stressed due to a lack of undisturbed quality sleep and air pollution. RSP shows little concern in their proposal for the residents living under the proposed flight path. They are offering just £4000 for sound insulation and only for people who will experience over 63 decibels continuously averaging over a 16 hour period (55 decibels averaged over 8 hours if from a bedroom) The applicant RSP doesnt seem to have noted the governments guidelines for noticeable and intrusive noise which is 51 decibels during the day amd 45 decibels at night. Surely this is unacceptable?
Manston airport has been closed for 4 years. In that time Cargo has been flown in and out of the UK to the Midlands and to Stansted Airport. Geographically the centre of the country is far more convenient for every business in the UK. Also there is capacity for East Midlands Airport and even Stansted Airpiort to take on more air freight. I think the RSP have grossly over estimated the Cargo market. From researching the web I find that cargo flights in the UK have shrunk by half from 108,000 flights in 2000 to 52,000 in 2016 and will remain at that flat rate until 2050. There is clearly no need for another Cargo hub in the country.
Housing. Manston Airport is valuable land and is desperately needed for housing in this area. It is a brownfield site which has so much potential for redevelopment not just for housing but for mixed use development. This area needs more infrastructure, the creation of new businesses, doctors surgeries, sports and leisure facilities and schools. The potential to acheive all these requirements is plain to see at Manston Airport.
I hope my concerns will be taken seriously. I do not support the reopening of the airport at Manston for the reasons outlined in this letter.
Regards
Nikki Hildesley