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.

The main reasons given by those who were opposed were:

• the likely disturbance to sleep
• the effect on health and quality of life
• unacceptable noise levels
• the likely detrimental impact on the local economy
• overstating the potential economic benefits.

Those in favour stated the reasons for their support as including:

• jobs/employment opportunities
• regeneration of Thanet
• their desire for the airport to develop
• night flights needed to ensure the future viability of the airport
• Airport has been there for many years

The responses were also analysed by area to ensure that the council gathers the views of those who live under the identified flight path, those who live within Thanet and those from outside of Thanet.  The results were approximately as follows:

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Leader of Thanet District Council, Cllr. Clive Hart, said:

“Firstly I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to take part in this consultation.  We know that it’s such an important issue for local people and that’s clearly reflected in the high level of response. The feedback from this consultation will now be considered by Councillors, alongside the findings of the Independent Assessment completed by Parsons Brinckerhoff and the proposed policy itself, to agree the council’s consultation response to Infratil.

I am sure every Councillor will be carefully analysing these results to see what residents have said, before we finalise our response.”

A report is due to be considered by members of the Airport Working Party on Wednesday 4th April. The report then goes to Scrutiny on Tuesday 24th April, Cabinet on Thursday 10th May and will then be considered at an Extraordinary meeting of Full Council on Thursday 24th May.

Comments

[Igloo]

He can't tell you because he doesn't know anything. He's just an internet troll who can't accept the facts.

[Oh Dear]

Is that the sound of twin CFM56s I hear . . . . .

[Igloo]

The problem you have (Oh Dear) is that the airport leaks like a sieve when it comes to information. The grease monkeys drinking in Manston tell the parka-brigade who can't wait to get back to goad their neighbours with stories of impending business. Inevitably, loud-mouths like yourself feel the need to post the information to the first available bulletin board in an attempt to make you appear well-informed. And the sad fact (for you) is that there are, currently, no credible rumours doing the rounds. Look on Pprune. Loads of stories about other airports but diddly-squat about Manston. As you know, Pprune is inhabited by insiders and anything that's made up quickly gets shot down in flames. That's why your posting your silly innuendo here and not there. Nothing's coming to Manston. I mean who would be stupid enough to relocate their business to an airport that the owners are trying to sell?

[Oh Dear]

PRUNE is so yesterday lovey. The reason no one posts there anymore is because of the management's warning. I don't have to trawl through rumour sites for my info

[A spotter]

So a dedicated freighter a319/320 using manston. Who could that be?

Would this user make a material impact on the huge losses made by manston each year?

Why would management tell employees not to spread rumour, then do exactly that himself?

Lipstick on the pig perhaps? Dressing up to make her more saleable? I suppose if there is any new operator the question will be if it stops the parent pulling out when a buyer fails to come forward.

[A spotter]

So infratil, struggling to attract business to manston, suddenly get more than one operator using a319/320 to do business with just after they announce they want to sell the airport.

Surely they'll be changing their mind?

[Oh Dear]

Now, you know me, I like to keep you informed with what's happening at your friendly local airport. Seems the new owners have cash to splash and are appointing an Airport Operations Manager for the "next stage" of Manston's development. Suggestions that the airport's death is imminent have been a little premature don't you think?

[HBM: in Dec 2011 the airport owners splashed out on moving a top-notch (?) freight development manager down to Manston, but this didn't signal a great new future... months later the airport was put up for sale.

http://www.hernebaymatters.com/nonightflights-blog/man-moves-house-manston-issues-press-release.html

I think you'll find the "Airport Operations Manager" is actually a corporate undertaker, with responsibility for disposing of the remains.]

[Oh Dear]

"A spotter" The answer is don't think so

[Someone in the real world]

"Suggestions that the airports death is imminent have been a little premature don't you think?"

It's been on life support every day of its existence. An operations manager, along with all of the other fanfare'd hires over the years have not made a blind bit of difference.

Its been a long, painful illness. You wouldn't let a dog suffer like Manston would. Infratil will do the humane thing sooner rather than later.

[Olympic Tourist]

I'm thinking of flying into Manston for the olympics. Reading its brochure, it says this;

"A high speed rail link from Ramsgate Station (located a short 5 minutes taxi ride from the airport) connects the airport to The Olympic Park in Stratford, in just 1 hour and 15 minutes."

However, reading south eastern's website says trains aren't running directlly from Ramsgate to Stratford - you've got to change onto a limited shuttle service at Ashford, making the journey about 2 hrs.

Are Manston telling porkies, overselling themselves?

[Oh Dear]

Trolling

[No regrets]

Maybe I'll regret selling manston........


..........but I doubt it.

[Regreta Few]

Oh Dear, Oh Dear

What a spivs mate you are, you are?

[Oh Dear]

Trolling

[Trotter]

I am assuming you have now decided to take some action against Oh Dear by deleting his comments and substituting Trolling in its place. This is getting to be very tedious. To be honest I would rather like to hear what he has to say. He certainly livens up what at times can be a very anal website and, before you all jump down my throat, let me just say that I am totally on your side but I think this person whoever he is should be allowed to speak, if anything your actions show you more in a bad light than him.

[HBM: Hmmm, a comment sent via a hide-your-tracks internet anonymisation service... Oh well, let's assume you're not Oh Dear... If he makes a useful contribution to the discussion, I shall leave his comments in place, even if I disagree with them. If he is making no useful contribution or just being abusive or offensive, I shall flag his comments as trolling.

If you particularly enjoy Oh Dear's comments, perhaps he would be kind enough to tell us which other websites he leaves comments on, and then you could go there and read the whole lot, trolling and all.]

[Trotter]

As somebody who suffered from a particularly nasty case of cyber crime, I choose now to be safe use an anonymisation service as you describe it, not that it's any business of yours.
I haven't got a clue where else Oh Dear posts and personally couldn't care less and neither could I care less about your campaign because of the attitude you have demonstrated here today. Having said that I hope you win

[HBM: I too have been on the receiving end of cybercrime, and you have my sympathies. CyberGhost works best if you use it consistently - you forgot to on this comment. I'm sorry you're miffed (not my intention), but thank you for your good wishes.]

[Igloo]

Hi Trotter. If you go and enrol for Manston Movements, you can read uncensored comments by Oh Dear and all of his anorak-clad mates. Unfortunately, you won't find his comments over there nearly as exciting as the ones he posts here, because Manston Movements is inhabited by airport fanatics. Unfortunately for Oh Dear, this means he has to post the truth. Otherwise they rubbish what he has posted. Consequently, you will find no trace of the garbage he has been posting here about a forthcoming freight operator using "A319/320" aircraft or the "sound of CFM56" engines. No, on Manston Movements all you will hear from old big-mouth is the sound of silence, because he doesn't have any inside information.

[Oh Dear]

Trolling

[Oh Dear]

Seems that I am not even being given the right of reply now even though Igloo has made a false accusation against me. Please yourself but . . . .

[Right to write]

You are a psuedonym posting untruths against the aims of this blog.

Go start your own for you and your 3 followers if you want your 'right' to respond.

[Oh Dear]

Correct, except the untruths. Airfield Operations Manager appointment, A319/320Fs, new owners. Just wait and see.

[Igloo]

You haven't posted this on Manston Movements because it isn't true.

P.S. Pseudonyms don't have a right of reply.

[Oh Dear]

Just wait at see Ms

[Igloo]

How long do we have to wait? I don't need you to get it right to the nearest minute but a ballpark figure would do. May, June, this year, next year, 2020 ???

[Oh Dear]

I will leave you hanging there a bit longer Mrs Igloo and whatever other pseudonyms you also post under

[Oh Dear]

Oh and whilst you are there let me dangle this in front of you: The airport is in the next phase of development and as a result there is a need for a newly created Airport Operations Manager. Notice the words "next phase" - see I did warn you but read it quickly because no doubt the word Trolling will appear in its place shortly, after all you wouldn't want the followers to think that I might actually really know something about what's going on

['eastcliff]

Does that mean that you will lose your job Oh Dear?

Does it mean that Allan McQuarrie will lose his job?

When and where is the operations manager job to be advertised?

These are straightforward questions Oh Dear to which you are able to give a simple informative reply.

[Oh Dear]

Not sure after all the abuse I should make life that easy for you, however you do have one friend - Google.
It would be totally unfair of me to speculate on who stays or goes.

[Igloo]

I'm afraid, Oh Dear, that you are a liar. A bare-faced liar. I gave you the opportunity to provide us with a shred of evidence for your claims. I asked you to tell us how long we would have to wait for the announcement. You couldn't do this because there is no announcement. You have just invented this because you are an internet troll.

[Oh Dear]

Steady there old fella, you'll end up bursting your bag. I would duck now there'an awful lot of albumen about to descend.

[Igloo]

Liar

[Oh Dear]

I forgot of course you're not a bloke though are you. I think you once said that pseudonym's have no right of reply what are you going to do about the various one's you post under here?

[Igloo]

Liar

['eastcliff]

Stuff this up your rrrr's, moaning Tories, twit head holiday makers, deaf, dumb and blind trolls!

Baroness Trumpington: My Lords, why is Manston never considered instead of a third runway? You have a ready-made runway at Manston, which is easy to get to from Dover. It has a lot of advantages and I do not understand why it could not be used.
Earl Attlee: My noble friend makes a good point. Manston's runway is very long indeed, but it is also a long way from London and does not meet many of the requirements for a hub airport.


14 May 2012 : Column 132 Hansard

['eastcliff]

So it doesn't matter how long it is, if it's in the wrong place it's useless!

[Oh Dear]

Just come out of hibernation have we? As I'm sure you're aware, even in the wrong place it can be an infinite source of pleasure, and in this case for thousands of people. I would climb back in your nest if I were you because you ain't going to like what's coming!

[Igloo]

You keep going on about what's coming, but you're lying. Nothing is coming. You are just a lying troll.

[747]

I can understand some people not wanting night flights,but not airport expansion.Manston could have expanded at anytime on the military or civilian side,so whos fault is it if you didnt take that into account when chooseing to live anywhere near an airport that has been there as long as Manston and has a dirty great runway you cant exactly miss.No ones fooled by this just being about night flights as we all know that for several years now Thanets moaners have been saying we dont want to close the airport down.Maybe some dont,while outhers among them certainly do by trying to put so many restrictions on it that it fails to produce the jobs we should all be seeking.These people have one advantage in that they stick together as a group while vast numbers of airport supporters just sit back and let the moaners beat them every time,This wont stop at night flights,not when members of the old Manston Airport Group are stll lurking around, dressed up as a clown right in there with the so called no night flight protesters.I know all you anti airporters want to save us all,but why is it most of you still have the cheek to fly at all its just so hypocritical.Facts figures,who the hell do some of these anti everythink people think they are moving to Thanet,or chooseing to live near an airport and then trying to stop just about anythink that could attempt to put money into an area that has been poor so long its a wonder we are still on the map.Iv heard things like lazy uneployed,get a job etc directed at the unemployed and you know more ofton than not its coming out of the mouths of the ones who do there upmost to stop just about anythink that would produce those jobs,Maybe one day these people will produce the jobs to replace the ones they do there upmost to wreak ,but i doubt it.Yes i do live in Ramsgate within hafe a mile of the airport which by the way i dont work for.

[A*]

747

What a load of muddled nonsense your comment contains!

[747]

In what way A ?or our you that dull and boreing youve nothink to say

[James]

You've raised an interesting point 747, although I think you'll find that it's actually the other way around.
The pro-night flight nimby callers have been trying to label the NNF group campaign as just anti-Manston, anti-jobs etc etc. I know of at least 50 residents personally who signed up against night flights. At a recent unrelated meeting, the Manston topic came up, these very same people voiced their unreserved support of an expansion of daytime operations at Manston.

And yes we all live directly under the Ramsgate flight path!

[Oh Dear]

"You keep going on about what's coming, but you're lying. Nothing is coming. You are just a lying troll." Seems like you're record's got stuck Mrs. You really are going to look incredibly stupid soon. Enjoy your weekend

[Local business woman]

I am struck by the aggressiveness in the comments by some (not all) of those who think that night flights will save the airport. Oh Dear doesn't want a prosperous airport, or, if he/she does, there has been precious little said about how night flights would help achieve that. Oh Dear's contribution seems to focus on wishing the worst, noisiest operation possible on local residents, whether or not this would bring any economic benefit. I can't think how this would benefit the area in any way.

I'm assuming by the tone of Oh Dear's comments that Oh Dear has something personal to lose should Manston cease to operate as an airport. I accept that redundancy is seldom good news, but I don't know many people who get their kicks by threatening thousands of people with noisy, sleepless nights. Oh Dear, if you have some useful facts to offer about the airport's future, those of who are for the creation of local jobs would love to hear about it. The threats and nastiness do Infratil no favours.

On a separate thread, I note that Infratil has written down the book value of Manston yet again. They now hold Manston and Prestwick together for around £34m. With no profits at the airport at all, this suggests a sale price at something very like what they bought it for 6 years ago. This supports the market whispers that there's very little interest in Manston as an airport. So, what next?

[Igloo]

On 6th April Oh Dear posted the following:

"..sadly for you and your tribe there is no happy ending. Look out for the A319/320s coming soon! "

It is now six weeks since he posted this pack of lies. As this represents incontrovertible proof that he is just a lying troll can the adminstrators of the site now ban him?

[Oh Dear]

"the market whispers?" Where is this market that's whispering? Do you mean the Cliftonville farmers market? "Very little interest?" OK, if you say so.

Igloo, the word "soon" seems to send you into some sort of frenzy. "Soon" is when it happens and that will be er well "soon."

[Local business woman]

Sorry, Oh Dear, I should have been more clear. I'm reasonably well-connected to the world of private equity and corporate finance. When I say "the market" I'm talking about banks and funds based here in the UK with a global mandate as well as the professional firms that advise them. I don't really cover the private investor world though so I don't hear a lot from that sector.

What's the source of your info?

[Igloo]

Oh Dear what can the matter be?
Manston is all quiet on Saturday,
He can't explain why that should be,
He thinks it's busy up there.

"Soon is when it happens" - do us afavour and ban this lying troll.

[Oh Dear]

lbw: The horses stable lad.
Igloo: I suggest you see someone before you do something silly

[Oh Dear]

By the way, IGlue, is that the same quiet Manston that has had at least 24 movements today?

[HBM: 23 of them Military]

[Statistician]

Dear OD, 24 bowel movements by job seeking redundant staff!