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Tuesday 4 October 2016

Manston Airport Not Viable Says Avia Report

Former Thanet councillor Ian Driver has welcomed the findings of aviation experts AVIA who in a comprehensive 87 page report published today, concluded that “airport operations at Manston are very unlikely to be financially viable”.  Said Driver, “Whilst I pay tribute to the hundreds of people who campaigned so hard to save Manston airport over the past few years, there is now overwhelming evidence to demonstrate that an airport on the Manston site would not be viable. It’s now time to move on and support alternative uses for the Manston site”.

Driver, who previously supported the retention of the airport, but then changed his mind in favour of  a mixed use commercial and housing development on the former airport site said “I believe that the plans submitted by Stone Hill Park provide the best option for the site. The proposals will create hundreds of desperately needed jobs and training opportunities for local people and will promote more inward investment and regeneration opportunities which is just what Thanet needs right now”
“This is a very large brownfield site and the location of housing on the site, including urgently needed social rented housing, will reduce the growing pressure to sell off prime agricultural land for development. I have met with Stone Hill Park on several occasions and have stressed the importance of ensuring that their development is environmentally friendly making use of solar, water re-use, and insulation technologies  and properly integrating their development into Thanet’s  public transport  network and providing safe walking and cycling routes. They gave me the impression that they were very serious about the environmental impact and sustainability of their development and I for one, will be keeping a close a watch on their plans and pulling them up if they try to sell Thanet short”.

“Although I understand that many people will be saddened and frustrated by the AVIA report we all have to accept that we live in a rapidly changing world and we need to adapt. But one thing is for sure, just as Manston played a massively important role in the history of Thanet, so it will play an equally important role in shaping for the future of Thanet for our children and grand-children”
Link to the full  AVIA report here
https://www.thanet.gov.uk/media/3500741/Final-Report-for-TDC-Manston-Airport-Viability-Oct2017_2.pdf

15 comments:

  1. Wells and UKIP must resign: their main policy. Stone Hill is just £1 overbuild. Let SHP show the success of Discovery Park first if they can...

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  2. Wells and Shonk must go, their election promises on Manston were foolish or lies

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  3. Play word Bingo with Gale as he splutters up his usual hearty response. Get points for the following words or phrases:

    'National asset'
    ''Frankfurt'
    ''Historical'
    'We'll see'
    'Government support'
    'WW11'
    'Housing estate'
    'UKIP's fault'
    'All in my power'
    'Harrumph'

    Gale must go

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  4. Manston shows what happens when you let idiots handle public money

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  5. Kent UKIP at TDC and KCC made opening manston their only policy. Shonk and Heal and Wells and lAtchford should resign now.

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  6. How much money has been wasted on Manston in the last 10 years?

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  7. Mackinlay calls for Wells to resign - but shouldn't Mackilnay go too as he also pledged to reopen Manston?
    http://www.kentonline.co.uk/thanet/news/we-believe-the-airport-will-103565/

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  8. A vote of no confidence in Wells and UKIP is needed. Go.

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  9. Chris Wells says he doesn't feel Ukip were voted in to save Manston, but to do the best they could to prevent its permanent closure.

    He told Kent Live: "I hope and trust that my group members, and indeed the wider public, will realise we have made every effort that we could humanly to try and make that policy position run through.

    Read more at http://www.kentlive.news/manston-airport-report-publisdhed/story-29777329-detail/story.html#u3khoikzsPk1W1DK.99

    Only Chris Wells could try and make a distinction between saving Manston or preventing its permanenet closure - what a useless gasbag. resign

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  10. MP Craig Mackinlay has called on Thanet Council leader Chris Wells to resign following today's report on Manston Airport.

    The MP said: “He who pays the piper calls the tune. This bogus report seems custom built to provide excuses for Chris Well’s broken promises.

    "We all made promises in 2015 before the election and the public quite rightly expect us to deliver them. When politicians break their promises the public’s confidence is broken."

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  11. Diane James UKIP leader quits after 18 days - who are these idiots?

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  12. Hilarious, another massive, public failure for UKIP - this was the main focus of their campaign, they promised, they persuaded, they almost guaranteed that the airport will be re-opened, and it's (unsurprisingly) come to absolutely nothing. That’s what you get by voting for amateurs, from an amateurish protest party..

    UKIP’s initial mantra was by bleating on and on and on about the expenses scandal, and then their deputy was arrested and dismissed for falsifying expenses, Farage “resigned” as he promised, after failing to be elected MP, suddenly he’s back a few days later!

    They also banged on about corrupt, dishonest, politicians, but they have shown themselves up to be the most dishonest, disingenuous, amateurish party of all, absolutely hopelessly clueless in every way, which is why four million votes turned into one, solitary MP! They are toast, yesterday’s chip paper – it will only get worse…

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  13. Chris Wells to be new leader of UKIP? And, errr, reopen Manston? Have a Brexit that means, errr errr....

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  14. 14:43 Wells was more slippery than just incompetent - he knew that Manston wouldn't be reopened because of the aquifer and pollution from when he was the TDC Tory environment spokesman on the Manston committee...

    Mackinlay and Gale were playing a similar game in spouting any old rubbish about Mansotn to the gullible and oldfashioned yokels

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