TDC and Infratil: "no contact"

Well, well. The Chairman of KIACC (the consultative group for Kent International Airport) has forwarded a number of very good questions from the general public to Richard Samuel at TDC. The gist of it, unsurprisingly, is: what on earth is going on? Have a look at the exchange and see how many of KIACC's questions TDC answered...

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Dear Chief Executive:

I am receiving a number of emails about the Council's procedures for handling your consideration of Infratil's application on night noise, following the circulation of my note about our meeeting.

The following message is an example - from one of the many people who keep up a very active interest in Manston Airport - and I should be grateful if the questions raised could be addressed and a full reply sent to me for onward transmission to the KIACC membership and other interested parties.

Can you clarify something for us?

The public consultation about these proposals was put on ice after the Council stated that further information was required from Infratil.  We weren't told what information was required and neither was Infratil, before the announcement was made.

• Has the Council told Infratil what additional information they require?
• Can we be told what aditional information is required?
• Has Infratil provided this information? If so, can we see the additional information? If not, when does Infratil anticipate that they will provide this information, if at all?
• How can the Airport Working Party be considering the proposal if this information has not been provided?
• If TDC could not consider the application in the absence of this information, how can the process be continuing?
• When does the Council anticipate launching the public consultation?
• The Bureau Veritas report says that the economic benefits of the proposal do not justify the environmental damage that will be caused.  Has anything changed since this statement was made?  If not, what is the point of continuing?

Many thanks,

Paul Twyman
Chairman,  KIACC

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Dear Paul

The answer to these questions is very simple. The council has had no contact with Infratil since the Leader's announcement. Both sides agreed that the BV report should be published and examined first and appropriate recommendations made. I anticipate that the sort of information we will require is a stronger justification of the proposals and better suggestions on monitoring and regulation. However these are only my initial personal reactions to the questions and do not represent the council's formal position. As you know the next step is for members to consider the BV report which they will do next week.

Richard Samuel
Chief Executive
Thanet District Council