On the 21st July 2014 pro-Manston Airport groups, accompanied by Sir Roger Gale, MP for North Thanet, took a petition with 26,498 signatures to 10 Downing St., to try and prevent the closure of Manston Airport
After 8 years we are still fighting to get Manston Airport re-opened for Aviation.
There is now a Development Consent Order (DCO) process in place, and we are waiting for the Secretary of State for Transport, in the Department for Transport, to make a decision.
We have been campaigning to help push through the Development Consent Order (DCO) to re-open Manston Airport.
SMAa and its members have submitted many 10s and even 100s of megabytes of documentation and evidence to the DCO process, as to why Manston Airport should be re-opened, in support of RiverOak Strategic Partners (RSP), who now own Manston Airport.
The DCO process was put in place to provide certainty to all - particularly investors - that the process would proceed in a timely manner, and has a defined timetable. This was closely adhered to though the examination process, and was supposed to conclude on the 12th January 2020, with a DCO decision by the Secretary of State for Transport in the Department for Transport (DfT).
2 years and one month later we are still awaiting this decision. This delay is at the expense of jobs in Thanet and East Kent, at our ability to travel easily, and makes a mockery of the strict DCO timetable. We believe the Manston investors are still standing firm with us, but please, DfT, do not try their patience any longer. With the difficulties posed by Covid, local jobs are more essential than ever. The fraction of the Thanet workforce that is out of work is double than that of say even the next constituency Canterbury. Thanet is desperately in need of “Levelling Up”, and re-opening Manston Airport is a way of doing that at no cost to the taxpayer.
Nationally and internationally air-cargo transport is booming, with more cargo planes being built, or converted from passenger planes. The South-East of England is short of airports with good cargo facilities - cargo stands and warehouses next to them. Manson Airport has a very suitable huge runway – using it is consistent with Government policy of “Making Best Use”. Manston will be purpose built from the ground up as a green low-carbon cargo airport to bring international cargo right into the Kent and London, where it is needed, rather than have the extra pollution of flying it up to the Midlands, and then trucking it back south again.
It is indeed vital to get the wording of the Secretary of State’s decision letter precise and water-tight, but please can we have a decision soon ?
Why is this important?
Re-opening Manston Airport can be a major booster for the people in the South-East, Kent and Thanet.
RIverOak Strategic Partners (RSP) want to invest £300 million into the infrastructure in the area, and create thousands of excellently paid jobs. They will start with hundreds of construction jobs.
At the same time they are already working with training and education providers, to make sure that the local people are fully up to speed, and able to apply for these jobs.
All at no cost to the taxpayer.
