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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Threat to night time flights bid

Plans for night flights from Manston Airport could be under threat as the Labour takes control of the council. Airport director Charles Buchanan is looking to meet with the new administration which campaigned in May's election on the promise it would oppose night flights. Mr Buchanan said:

"We are looking to meet with the new administration at the earliest opportunity and discuss the proposals we have put forward."

Despite an anti-night flight stance in its manifesto the Labour group has yet to comment on the latest proposals by Manston Airport. One Labour councillor who has spoken out against night flights is Ramsgate Mayor David Green. He said:

"The position is being looked at more or less as we speak. I can not say what it will be, it is quite difficult. We are taking time to talk to everyone involved."

Since Manston Airport submitted its proposals for an average of eight flights a night (between 11pm and 7am), many Labour councillors have been reluctant to comment on the issue through fear that any pre-determination would preclude them from voting on night flights in any future debate.

thisiskent 23rd Dec 2012

Noise monitoring at Manston Airport

Noise? What Noise?

More needs to be done to monitor noise created by airplanes at Manston airport, Thanet council officers have admitted after a grilling by councillors.

During the meeting of the Airport Working Party last Wednesday, members quizzed council officials on what had been done to make sure Manston airport operator Infratil sticks to the conditions of its planning agreement, a Section 106, with the council. Labour councillor David Green said he did not think the monitoring was sufficiently independent or transparent, adding:

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Cllr David Green writes:

On Tuesday (30th August) I proposed, and Peter Campbell seconded, that a report, from the Council’s Airport Working Party, on the monitoring of activities at Manston Airport including Night Flights policy be adopted by the Thanet District Council (TDC) Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and forwarded to Cabinet. The committee voted 8 to 7 with all Labour Councillors and Cllr King in favour.

“1(a) The Council adopts a policy of not allowing scheduled, pre-planned or otherwise timetabled flights between the hours of 23:00 and 07:00

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Motion calls for a policy on scheduled night flights

The Thanet Labour group has tabled a resolution over night flights from Manston airport at the district council's next meeting. The motion calls for the council to adopt a policy of not allowing scheduled or planned flights between 11pm and 7am and to rule that any arrivals or departures in an extra hour either side be subject to a fine.  Exceptions to the ban would include "mercy flights" and flights for medical emergencies under Labour's proposals.

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Residents rally on night flights at public meeting in Chatham House School

Clipping: thisiskent

RESIDENTS against plans for regular night flights at Manston airport made their anger felt at the first public meeting on the issue. The hall at Chatham House School was packed for the meeting called by Ramsgate Town Council on Monday night. It gave people the chance to air their views on an application by the owners of Manston airport, Infratil, to allow scheduled flights at night.

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Public get the chance to air views on airport expansion plans

Cllr David Green

Clipping: thisiskent

RAMSGATE town council is to hold a public meeting to discuss proposals for more night flights from Manston airport. Chairman David Green said the council decided to hold the debate after residents used last Wednesday's council meeting to vent their fears over more night noise disturbance.

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Ramsgate Town Council consultation

At the Ramsgate Town Council meeting this coming Wednesday 6th October at 7pm, Cllr David Green is going to be asking the council how best they can consult (separately, it seems, from TDC) with people in Ramsgate.

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Night flying fuels fresh Manston airport fight

Clipping: thisiskent

Agreements on night flights cannot be changed until the airport owners make a planning application. An independent group set up to advise on the development of Manston airport has said no to more night flights. Kent International Airport Consultative Committee chairman Paul Twyman told a meeting of Thanet council’s airport working group that while there should be a balance of “economic and environmental interests”, he was against changing current night policy.

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Furore over fast track for night flight plans

Christine Tongue

Clipping: thisiskent

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. 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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BA plans cargo flights from Manston

British Airways, seen landing at Manston on Wednesday after redirection due to a fluid spillage, could be flying cargo from the airport as easrly as May. British Airways is understood to be planning cargo flights out of Manston from as early as May – a move that will create hundreds of jobs. Thanet council chiefs revealed on Wednesday that night flights over the isle could increase with the imminent arrival of a new freight operator.

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