Night Flights vote

TDC listened, and said "No" - will Mr Buchanan get the message?

On the face of it, it looks like a straightforward example of democracy at its best.

If only.

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Crunch vote on Manston night flights coming soon

A crunch vote on night flights will take place this month as Thanet council prepares to give its final views. Councillors have to choose whether to support plans for up to eight flights a night between 11pm and 7am.

Last week, the Labour cabinet was accused of being "anti-airport" when it agreed that, in response to the airport's consultation, it would not support night flights.

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Location matters more than night flights

Night flights are not "make or break" for Manston airport, it will struggle regardless - that's the claim from Phil Rose of the No Night Flights group, which is campaigning against proposals to introduce scheduled flights between 11pm and 7am from Manston airport.

Mr Rose poured scorn on claims by the district's Conservative group that ending restrictions would improve the airport's fortunes.

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No Nightie Flights!

This is the film of the demonstration outside Thanet Council on May 17th by the campaigners against night flights at Manston airport. They argue that night flights disturb their sleep. Hence the bed and the night attire!

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Sparks fly over AWP fiasco

The unutterable shambles of the AWP meeting has given cause for complaint. A fully-fledged formal foot-stamping has landed with a thump at TDC Towers and should give a few people there pause for thought - a few snippets are reproduced below for your enlightenment.

Firstly, there is the problem of Mr Buchanan being given the opportunity to offically heckle the Council's draft report.

If simply by applying to address the working party results in one party with vested interests being able to speak in chambers, then this should be widely known. In this specific instance, I wish to know why officers did not think to invite other interested parties.

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Thanet Airport Working Party 4th April

Like pushing your own face into a bacon slicer. Slowly. It was shambolic to a degree I would once have found shocking.

Charles Buchanan had been invited to speak by Cllr Gideon (chair), at Madeline Homer's suggestion, to "clarify" a number of points relating to the AWP's draft response. This led to some confusion as to whether the current draft report would need to be returned to Parsons Brinckerhoff for rewriting in the light of whatever Mr Buchanan might be about to say. Eventually they decided to play it by ear, and if only minor adjustments were required, they could go straight to the next stage of the process (Overview & Scrutiny) without the AWP needing to meet again.

[An aside: WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?

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Herne Bay people power

Congratulations to Herne Bay for a clear-cut response to the night flight proposals - "No thank you!".

If you have never heard of Peter Vickery-Jones, he is a Herne Bay councillor and holder of the Transport Portfolio for Canterbury City Council. In this article he complains that "Local activists have criticised this council for failing to respond to Manston's proposals". Unthinkable!

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Thanet rejects Manston night flights

More than 2,000 residents air their views

More than 2,000 residents took the time to air their views as part of the council’s public consultation on proposals for regular night-time flying at Manston Airport. The majority were opposed to the implementation of regular night-time flying, with approximately 73% opposed, 26% in favour and 1% not clearly stating a position.

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Consultation results

Well, the results are in for Canterbury district, and the answer is a clear "No" to night flights.

Of the 230 responses, 80% were against Manston's proposals.

So, where are the results for Thanet?

Here they are!

Planning permission for Manston

Manston airport sale "a chance to introduce proper planning"

News that Manston airport is up for sale is confirmation that the local infrastructure is not sufficient to sustain an airport, according to one of the most respected campaign group in the country.

Manston’s New Zealand owner, lnfratil, announced it was selling the site because it wanted to “refocus its investment profile" and concentrate on retail, production and supplying gas and electricity. The move puts 123 jobs at risk.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England says the sale is an ideal chance for Thanet council to put into force planning regulations protecting the interests of residents

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Manston closure full of surprises

It was nothing to do with night flights, it was an investment decision (surprise, surprise), Labour feels vindicated and criticises Tories (surprise, surprise).

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Airport boss calms jobs fears after Manston is put up for sale

Manston airport boss Charles Buchanan has insisted it will be "business as usual" at the airport, following the shock announcement of its sale last Thursday.

A statement from the airport said it was a decision that had arisen from operator Infratil "refocusing" its investment profile.

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BAWC

OK folks, let's get a grip before hysteria takes hold.

There have been mutterings in the undergrowth for a while, and now ITV Meridian are obediently repeating the carefully leaked PR drivel. BAWC are going to save the whole of south-east England from flight congestion by, er, moving their flights from one part of the south-east to another.

Hmmm... well, first of all, we've been here before.

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Airport CEOs upbeat

Two minds with but a single thought

Iain Cochrane, chief executive of Glasgow Prestwick Airport:

I believe this is an excellent opportunity for us to attract new investment into the airport to provide the stimulus for future growth.

STV 8th March 2012

Charles Buchanan, chief executive of Manston Airport:

This represents an opportunity for Manston to ... attract new investment into the airport and stimulate the growth needed to make it a success in the future.

kentonline 8th March 2012

Reality hits home, Infratil leave town

Delusion has finally been swept away by the onslaught of reality and Infratil are throwing in the towel. This has been a long time coming, and Nostrildamus predicted it in November 2010.

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Manston Airport has been put up for sale. Bosses at Kent International Airport told staff at 10.30am yesterday (Friday) morning. The shock decision was made by owners Infratil. The New Zealand-based company also plans to sell its airport at Prestwick near Glasgow.

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Manston Pickle

The already deprived residents of one of the poorest local authorities in England may soon be deprived of sleep, too — thanks to the ineptitude of Thanet council.

Thanet's Manston airport, owned by Kiwi conglomerate lnfratil, wants to operate flights throughout the night — mostly old, noisy freight 747s. The airport's boss, Charles "Manston" Buchanan, says this will somehow help create more than 3,000 jobs, as well as, one presumes, raging insomnia for the thousands of council taxpayers who live under the flight path.

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Manston's imaginary friends

"Action for Manston Airport" - clearly a heartfelt plea, so if any of you have any spare action, do sellotape it to a postcard and send it Mr Buchanan at the airport.

It's also the name of a Facebook thingy that's just been magicked out of thin air by a very enthusiastic couple - Irene & Antony Horwood. They have dragooned all their Facebook "friends", and a number of other people, into being an involuntary fan club for Manston.

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Night flight blight triggers house price crash

Ramsgate property prices have dropped over 7% in the last 6 months.

The effects of "night flight blight" can already be seen in the fall in house prices in Ramsgate, as compared to the rest of Thanet.

Despite its architectural richness, thriving independent retail sector, attractive harbour and the new high speed rail link, prices in Ramsgate over the last 6 months have fallen sharply

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CPRE response to the public consultation

I've got a lot of time for the CPRE, and in particular our local branch - Protect Kent. They've got their heads screwed on, and their hearts are in the right place.

I joined them, and I encourage you to join them too. Your membership fees pay for their expert staff to do things like producing the response below. Read and enjoy... then join up!

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You say (35)

#Manston #nightflights

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I would like to say at the very outset that I am AGAINST night flights in any shape or form, that is flights that arrive or take off between the hours of 11.00 p.m. and 7.00 a.m. from Manston.

Apart from the fact that everyone needs a good night’s sleep in order to function properly the next day, it is my basic human right as defined by the European Court of Human Rights.

I feel that no airport anywhere should be even allowed to contemplate night flying unless all daytime capacity has been fully exhausted. My understanding is that even London Heathrow is only allowed a minimum of night flights per annum and as we all know, this is one of the busiest airports in the world. Noise quotas should have no bearing on night flights. The simple fact of the matter is that if it wakes me up its too loud!

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You say (34)

#Manston #nightflights

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EAST KENT FRIENDS OF THE EARTH GROUP.

Our Group is opposed to any night flights at Manston up to 4 flights per nights would only increase the adverse noise impact for local residents and people as far away as Herne Bay and Sandwich.

Kent International Airport has underestimated the potential noise impact as the consultant’s report clearly points out local residents are experiencing considerable noise now with day time flights they shouldn’t be expected to tolerate it at night also.

The Airport Master Plan claims that Manston could handle 2.29m passengers and 167.500 tonnes of freight by 2018 whilst creating up to 2000 new jobs. This figure is grossly over optimistic for such a short timescale we understand that Thanet has long-term economic difficulties and high unemployment but expanding flights at Manston is not a long term answer to these serious problems. Firstly how are Thanet and East Kent roads expected to cope with all the extra car journeys and lorry movements expansion at Manston would generate.

Also how can increasing flights be compatible with The Climate Change Act, The UK will have little chance of cutting C02 emissions be 80% by 2050 if Airport are allowed to keep increasing flights. Britain needs to reduce air travel especially internal flights. France has shown that expanding high speed rail is the way forward many more people there are choosing rail than internal flights. Our Group does support linking Manston to the rail network and a new Manston Parkway Station which would be served by South Eastern High Speed Services. We support any measures to improve public transport and cycling routes between Manston and the rest of Thanet and East Kent.

We hope Thanet District Council will consider the long term adverse environmental effects of allowing night flights and further expansion at Manston and will reject Kent International Airports plans.

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Click to have your say in the Public Consultation on Night Flights

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Dear Sir/Madam

I would like to register my objection to the proposed scheduled night flights proposal submitted by Infratil to Thanet District Council.

I am against this proposal for a number of reasons, which I would like to outline below.

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