21 August 2018
Great news for Manston Airport in Kent! The Planning Inspectorate has accepted the application for the upgrade and reopening Manston Airport for examination.
The Development Consent Order (DCO) for the proposed project was submitted in July 2018 by RiverOak Strategic Partners (RSP) which plans to operate an air freight business on the airport, with some passenger services as qell.
Sarah Richards, Chief Executive of the Planning Inspectorate said, “After careful consideration we have decided on behalf of the Secretary of State that the application submitted by RiverOak Strategic Partners Ltd met the required tests set out in the legislation to be accepted for examination.
“The applicant must now decide and publicise when members of the public can play a part in the examination process by registering with the Planning Inspectorate as an interested party to give their views.”
RiverOak’s plan for Manston Airport as an air freight hub, with some passenger services.
One of the local MPs, Sir Roger Gale, welcomed the decision.
“This means that Manston has been accepted as a site of nationally important infrastructure,” he said.
“We are desperately short of runway capacity in the south-east and Manston offers a literally unique opportunity to provide freight and passenger capacity.
“I would like to pay tribute to RiverOak Strategic Partnership, the new administration of Thanet Council and those overwhelming numbers of local people who have, in the teeth of ridicule and vilification, held to the long-term vision for Manston Airport and recognised the national rather than the short-term commercial interest in using this essential national asset for its proper purpose.
“We have a long way to go: the pubic examination will, rightly, be rigorous and significant investment will be required to restore and expand the airport to meet the national demand and to make the airfield commercially viable but we are on our way. Now the real work begins.”
38 comments
Very much looking forward to its reopening and getting the airspace it needs.
I agree. The prospect of jobs within the community and better transport links bring investment to the area. The noise problem of aircraft is reduced by quiet
Engines. Having a long runway could mean takeoffs are shorter reducing the impact of noise.
Great news and very best of luck for getting this up and running (again!).
I hope it works out more jobs. I wish people would stop winging about noise. Don’t like it don’t live near an airport it’s not like it was just built. I live in manston I hardly heard anything from the last freight planes. So good luck it would be nice if it could expand and become passenger planes though but who knows the futures bright as they say.
Super Great News more planes the better jobs and spin off jobs
no time for moaners
Why build a third runway at Heathrow when a substantial runway exists at Manston with good road links and could easily have a good rail link. The government must be blind.
Now destined to be used for a different kind of cargo.
Road freight.
Airport to be additional Brexit parking when the M26 fills up.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/oct/22/grayling-calls-for-calm-level-heads-as-tory-brexit-tensions-mount
Lorries are going to be directed from M26 to Thanet? Really?
I see Gale has said this “This means that Manston has been accepted as a site of nationally important infrastructure,” This simply is not true at all. It has been accepted for EXAMINATION by PINS nothing else. RSP themselves have admitted in their DCO application that they do not have the £300-400m funds to develop the site. Its doubtful they even have the money to buy the site valuing it at £15m in their application, which anybody with any intelligence will realise, is a ridiculously low amount. PINS have already put RSP on notice that unless they can come up with a creditable list of investors & funds the DCO will fail very early on. This is exactly the same position Freudman & co were in with TDC twice which is why TDC did not CPO the site on their behalf. Any airport on the site is doomed to failure it’s just a glorified land grab. If RSP do succeed in the DCO & do not go ahead with an airport they can do what they like with the land as they will not sign any guarantees to return the land should an airport fail & a DCO does not make them.
The referendum didn’t break up the union so why not reconnect with the union and build a strong bond and economy out of the EU businesses, trade, travel travel and cargo to be delivered at prices that are not hyped but a sustainable development for business to not keep going bust. Looking at the bigger picture manston has potential to build on dreams not fill in hopes.
What is the plan regarding passenger flights? I understand the airport will mainly be used for Cargo however I heard plans for short haul flights. What airlines and destinations could we expect regarding this?