Furore over fast track for night flight plans
CHANGES to night flights at Manston airport were rushed through by Thanet council on Thursday in the hope of securing a major freight operator.
Councillors unanimously agreed to pass changes to flight times to allow planes to take off and land for an extra 30 minutes in the evening until 11.30pm and between 6am and 7am.
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Environmental activist Christine Tongue
The agreement, to come into effect in May, is on the condition that Kent International Airport signs a deal with a large cargo operator, rumoured to be British Airways.
Deputy leader Roger Latchford told councillors it was the chance to develop jobs for Thanet.
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The agreement could mean an extra 112 jobs available at the airport including, control staff, firefighters, warehouse operatives and aircraft handlers. Infratil also estimate a further 300 indirect jobs would be generated from extra activity at the airport.
A handful of protesters gathered in the public gallery including environmental activist Christine Tongue holding a sign saying: "What’s the rush?"
Kent Council for the Protection Rural England director Hilary Newport said: "There is a real risk that this airport will have an effect on tourism because Ramsgate will become unattractive. We will take advice on if this is something that needs to be challenged."
Councillors were then presented with a new seven-page agreement between Infratil and Thanet council and were given a five-minute adjournment to consider it.
Eastcliff ward Cllr David Green proposed four amendments all of which were opposed. These were the use of runways away from Ramsgate, a reduction of the initial trial period from 18 months to nine months, not leaving the agreement open-ended to prevent another airline walking into the agreement and doubling fines when planes break the night-time curfew.
Central Harbour ward Cllr Peter Campbell demonstrated his discomfort at the speed at which the decision had come before full council.
He said: "I do not like being bounced into this situation. We have not consulted with residents but because of the current economic situation I will support it, but we need to tighten up on monitoring."
Nethercourt ward Cllrs Jill Kirby and Cllr Brenda Rogers hit the streets to find out what their residents thought of the proposed changes. Out of 338 people they asked, 80.5 per cent were in favour of the changes to night flights.
A Thanet council spokesman said: "A total of 11 movements a week of 747-400 aircraft has been proposed, with only a portion of these scheduled during these times. The arrangements will be reviewed every six months and, as part of the decision, an independent environmental consultant will be commissioned to carry out an assessment of the flights taking place during night-time hours. Infratil has also committed to improving noise monitoring and reporting."
Airport boss Matt Clarke said: "I’m very pleased and we’re doing our best to get through the process."
KIA chief executive Matt Clarke said: "We are grateful to the members of the Thanet council for its swift action to assist us with our request to extend the scheduled airport operating hours. Our growth as a regional airport is supported by local, regional and national planning policy and this decision enables our business to compete on a level playing field with other South East airports.
"Discussions continue with the prospective new carrier and we are pleased to have provided them with such a clear signal of community support for the activity, jobs and investment their business would deliver to Thanet."
Comments
by Phil Rose, Herne Bay
Wednesday, May 27 2009, 12:08PM
“A petition against night flights has just started: "8 Hours of Peace and Quiet" aims to keep the 8 hours between 11pm and 7am free of planes flying overhead. Go to:
tinyurl.com/8hours
to find out more. We need a mountain of signatures in time for the public meeting about night flights on 26th June (7pm, at Manston Airport, in the Passenger Departure Lounge).
Sign up, make a difference - this may be your only chance to be heard.
.”
by Rob Munro, Ramsgate
Tuesday, February 24 2009, 3:45PM
“Eastcliff Richard get a life you nerd and well said Jamie from Palm Bay all the " i live in the flightpath" should move then!!! I live on Nethercourt directly under the planes as they fly over and I love it bring it on more the better.Eastcliff Richard and Miss Tounge and all the other trendy leftires get a life the Planets past its sell by date anyway live for today as there will be a crap tomorrow anyway ,and nothing you can all do about it saving the Planet now. PS go on ebay and buy some ear defenders or would you like mine that I kept when I left KCC Highways”
by Elizabeth Shelvey, Cliffsend Ramsgate.
Friday, February 20 2009, 2:33PM
“My husband and i moved to Ramsgate, in 1990. We knew
that, there was an airport.
In those days it was RAF run.
Had we known that there could ever have been a chance of the
airport becoming a civillian airport. We would not have moved here. I am fed up with people who do not live in the area, calling those who do, nimby's, and blaming us if the airport does not work. Maybe they should look to the mangement of the KIA. As for thethecouncillors tend to forget who put them in office. If we want anything changing to our properties we have to send in plans and pay for planning permission. What i would like to no is why the airport owners feel they can walk rough shrod over all of us and our lives. People i know who have retired to cliffsend, now call it witsend, because thats what they are at.
Come on Thanet Council know more meetings behind closed doors, this affects everyone. All of you who want this airport to work, stop shouting down others who are going to be badly affected..they have as much as right as everyone else to have there say. I notice in the local paper from time to time when things are going to be built or opened, in other areas, those who want the airport, shout the loudest when its where they live.Before Thanet Council, gave permission,to a group of people who seem to be telling, the council what to do. It should have took the time to investigate, weather everything they have been told is valued.
This time i wish everyone would stick together, and have a proper enquiry, surely, they must see how many lives are going to be ruined..Does that stand against how many jobs they say there is going to be. Remember we had all this with wiggins.”
by Richard Eastcliff, Ramsgate
Friday, February 20 2009, 10:38AM
“Those who are commenting in support this move do not appear to be the ones who will suffer because of it.
Here in Ramsgate, directly beneath the flightpath, there is a growing tide of opinion against the airport, which the council's supine attitude towards Infratil is doing nothing to diffuse.”
by Brian Shelvey, Cliffsend under the flightpath
Thursday, February 19 2009, 11:50PM
“Its a laugh isnt it, can you emagine going to the job centre & seeing an add for 38, 747 pilots needed must have previous experience, & this coucil believes [if it is going to be British Airways] that are thinking of operating out of Manston their going to sack 38 pilots that normally fly into stanstead, i,m sure with a bit of extra training these same pilots will be able to KIA, so now were down to a possible 74 jobs, as for the air traffic controllers were only talking about an extra 10 &1/2 hours a week so why 3 more?, Warehouse operatives another 10 for an extra 11 flights a week i,m unsure about that, i think the apparent 97 staff already @ the airpoprt should be able to carry out the extra work involved only life must be a little boring bearing in mind not much goe,s out of the airport now, Freight forwarders these would not be neede unless BA are moving their operations in total to KIA , i can,t see that for the sake of 11 flights, hey the numbers are coming down all the time, Rescue fire fighters an extra 12 for 10&1/2 hours i don,t think so, logistics, engineering, cleaning & catering ok so may be the logistics what ever that refers to & the engineering, but i can,t emagine them hoovering & dusting a freight aircraft, Ware house operatives 10? i think the fork lift truck doe,s most of it , it does,nt make sense to take on all these people for the sake of 11 freight movements, now i understand the people of thanet wants jobs & i,d be one of the first to say 10/10 to the businesses who come to thanet & do just that but i,m afraid we live in an area where business can come & tell us tthey are going to take on 100s of staff we welcome them but not many of them are telling the truth, the local council desperate to get jobs for thanet believe them & welcome them with open arms, as for the councilors that walked around nethercourt, yes i can believe the answers they got there, only a few years ago the MAG were very active against the airport, you don,t hear much from them now & i think its because the flight path was changed they very rarely fly over nethercourt now, KIA are always bragging about the length of the runway being one of the longest but they only use half of it on take offs if you watch the aircraft taking off towards ramsgate from up by the grange road roundabout the monent they take off they swerve over to the right to fly over the top of seaview road , the reason for this is when the council ask them about complaints received they answer with a smile on their face & say yes we,ve had 113 but all from the same11 addresses, & as far as the council is concerned thats ok, as far as direction of flights the aircraft take off in the direction there going to this save on fuel, you might think i,m one of the objecters i only object to one thing i,ve spoken to a number of councilors about it & that is the way they take off, when i moved here i knew the airport was there also when the RAF were there they took off in line with the runway i think its about time it was soughted there could be a bad accident here one day & i don,t want a 747 coming through my patio, the only other problem i,ve got is the pollution but then the whole area will have to put up with that in the future if it happens, I can,t see BA wanting to drive freight 75 miles to thanet personally i can see Eddy Stobbart taking most of the frieght traffic bearing in mind southend airport is only a few miles away as the crow flys, i honestly think this extension is for something completely different, just the mention of BA wobbled the legs of tdc & thant.”
by jamie hitchens, palm bay
Thursday, February 19 2009, 12:41PM
“Bring it on... ths area really needs something like this more so for jobs and for the future of the isle.Manston is a suitable airport for cargo and even passenger handling,I worked at heathrow airport for 20 years as a aircraft handler for a major airline for Manston to handle a major airline would be most welcome......Where do i apply for a job.”
by John Naylor, Horsmonden
Thursday, February 19 2009, 11:25AM
“If suitable noise abatement measures can be taken then this develpment MUST take place. Put in a fast rail line to London & the North with good road link to M2. This will take some of the need for expansion at Gatwick & Heathrow. Motoring from Kent to Stanstead is a nightmare, similar to Boris's idea of a Thames airport. You have the runway, make use of it and enjoy the extra employment.
John Naylor”
by Katie, Ramsgate
Wednesday, February 18 2009, 7:40PM
“Sorry last letter should have read Katie and not Miss Ramsgate sorry for error did not notice until I sent it”
by Miss Ramsgate, Ramsgate Kent
Wednesday, February 18 2009, 7:17PM
“Regards to D Ball that councillors Kirby and Rogers went out and spoke to residents I and many others would be interested to know where they did this, as myself and others have been speaking to Ramsgate people which in total are quite a few and nobody has been asked what they thought.Also many of them did not even know that anything was about to change.It seems funny that if you want to know what is happening in Ramsgate you have to obtain a paper from up the line to get this information.The planes do not just affect Nethercourt they affect all over Ramsgate,the town,eastcliffe,the area covering,Grange road to all roads leading off it ,Newington to name a few.There are a very small amount of planes that are quiet,most sound like they are falling to bits especially the cargo planes, not to forget the polution they throw out as they desend on Ramsgate.Why not send the planes out the other way instead over them landing and taking off over Ramsgate,then perhaps some of the people who so much want the night flights would get a bite of the cherry themselves,then lets see how happy they are”
by Richard, thanet
Wednesday, February 18 2009, 5:44PM
“what a joke - more flights overhead to wake me up bright and early. i'm sick of these con-cillors rubber stamping nonsense like this on the whim of some fat cat who doesn't live anywhere near the airport and who will no doubt be lining their pockets while the rest of us watch the value of our homes fall because of the constant noise.”