Gloves are off in row over night flights at Thanet's Manston airport
THE chief executive of Manston's Kent International Airport has hit out at Thanet District Council's assessment of night flying.
Charles Buchanan told a meeting of business leaders that plans to weight assessment of a consultation in favour of those living under the flight path was unfair to the rest of Thanet.
He also criticised a statement by the authority that said an independent report into the effect of development at the airport "challenged" claims by Infratil, which owns the airport, over economic benefit and noise pollution.
Last week, Thanet council announced it will carry out a 28-day in-house consultation on Manston night-flying policy.
The council says the consultation would preserve "the key principle" of giving more weight to the views of people living under the flight paths.
Mr Buchanan said the views of all Thanet residents should be treated equally, adding: "It is quite clear that there are people from across Thanet who will benefit from the job opportunities created by the night flights and we employ a lot of people in Margate.
"To weigh it in favour of those who just live under the flight path is not fair. All people should have their equal say."
But Labour council leader Clive Hart said that those who are affected by the environmental impact, as well as the economic impact, should have more of a say.
He said: "It was always going to be that way. Other people are affected, but the argument goes both ways.
"Both people under the flight path and elsewhere in the isle are affected by employment issues. But only people under the flight path are affected by environmental issues as well, so their comments should be given more weight."
Conservative former council leader Bob Bayford accepted that people living under the flight path should be given more say but that only a consultation carried out by a private company could give an accurate picture of people's views. He said "If you ask people to respond in an in-house consultation, the people most motivated to respond are those who have a negative view. The people who are not against the airport basically won't bother.
"If you use a proper market-research company, that is skilled in gauging opinion, they will get the views of the whole population. That is what they are skilled at doing.
"The other problem is that there will be activists going around encouraging people to respond negatively. Everyone is affected, so they should all have a say."
The consultation is due to begin on Friday (February 3) for a period of 28 days and will be open to all residents in Thanet. Responses to the proposals can be submitted in writing to Consultation, Thanet District Council, PO Box 9, Margate CT9 1XZ or by e-mailing consultation@thanet.gov.uk Full names and addresses must be provided with each response.
People can also submit responses direct to the airport, via its consultation page www.manstonairport.com/about- the-airport/planning/night-flight-policy
For the latest in the night flight debate, see Friday's Isle of Thanet Gazette.
2 Comments
by Slider252
Monday, February 27 2012, 2:49PM
“Buchanan is playing off Margate against Ramsgate which is unfair to both towns. Yes we want jobs, but we don't want the negative
impact of night flights on Ramsgate's economy.And this is something that neither Manston nor Thanet District Council have fully investigated. And I'm not just talking about people under the flight path not getting much sleep. I'm talking about the wider impact that night flights will have on business and development in Ramsgate, a town that relies heavily on tourism to bring money in.”
by Mode Solutions
Friday, February 03 2012, 6:52AM
“Night Flights do not just affect those under the flight path in Ramsgate. Circling jets create substantial noise and can be heard across the Island!
Why is no one questioning the absurd figures that Manston quote as being jobs for Thanet. They employ relatively few people from Thanet as it is! There is NO economic argument for these proposals, there will be relatively little if any economic benefit to the local area and the passenger service cannot hope to compete with the London airports.
At Thanet's furthest point you are only 1hr 45mins from Gatwick. But there are insufficient passenger numbers in Thanet alone to make any passenger service viable. Why would anyone in Maidstone or Dartford travel down to Thanet when Gatwick is just as accessible as is London Airport and Heathrow is just 40 minutes further!
Flybe pulled out for economic reasons, not because of lack of night flights. Why would any other passenger service think differently. The only viable business model is Cargo and that represents no benefit to the local community at all, in fact the noise levels will be higher and is proven by research after research to have detrimental health effects, especially on children!
Bob Bayford has set out his store. He wants night flights at Manston and the residents be damned! He quotes 'creating jobs for Thanet', and yet consistently the figures relating to employment in the Manston proposals are proven to be fictitious and actually non-existent, which makes his insistence and support all the more sinister!”