Advice to Anne Peers
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- From
- Anne Peers
- Date advice given
- 20 July 2017
- Enquiry type
It is hoped that considerable thought is given to the development of a cargo hub airport on the current brown field site, previously the war time airport for Manston. If allowed, such a development would fracture the fragile nature of Thanet. This area is one of deprivation which has occurred over many years but, now with the development of the high speed railway and low cost housing, is becoming a desirable destination for those who wish to escape city life but still enjoy employment in the capital. You will have received, by other concerned residents of Thanet, many arguments both technical and emotional. There is no need for me to reiterate same but I would ask you and your team to allow their comments to be put forward and given very, very serious consideration. The decision of the Inspectorate could give prosperity to this area or destroy all that has been achieved over the past twenty years. I sincerely hope that the application to site a cargo hub airport at Manston is denied.
Advice given
Currently this proposed development is in the Pre-Application stage of the Planning Act 2008 (PA2008) planning process for nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs), and there is no mechanism through which the Planning Inspectorate can influence a developer’s consultation during this stage.
During the Pre-Application stage the developer will be preparing their application documents to be submitted to us, as well as consulting with the local community on their proposals. At this stage the application has not been finalised, and as such we advise for any concerns related to the project or any of the developer’s consultation activities to be submitted directly to the developer, in order for your views to inform the application before it is finalised and submitted to us for consideration.
You have also copied in Thanet Borough Council to your email. Once an application has been submitted, the Planning Inspectorate will scrutinise all of the application documents, including the evidence provided in the Consultation Report, applying the statutory tests set out in s55 of the PA2008. By the end of the Acceptance period the Planning Inspectorate (on behalf of the Secretary of State) must decide, in accordance with the tests in s55 of the PA2008, whether or not an application is of a satisfactory standard to be examined.
In reaching the above decision, s55(4) makes explicit that the Planning Inspectorate must have regard to the Consultation Report and any Adequacy of Consultation Representations made by local authority consultees. Adequacy of Consultation Representations are defined by s55(5) of the PA2008 as representations about whether the applicant complied with its duties under sections 42, 47 and 48. They are requested from all relevant local authorities on receipt of an application for development consent.
To that end, in providing your comments to your local authority they may be considered in the Council’s preparation of its Adequacy of Consultation Representation; if an application is submitted to the Planning Inspectorate.
We are in the process of preparing a Frequently Asked Questions document to assist local communities in respect of Pre-application community consultation. It will be published to our website shortly.
If you have any queries regarding the PA2008 process in relation to this project please do not hesitate to contact us.