Gale's View- The Sale of Manston
Posted by Roger Gale, MP for North Thanet, at 15:44, Thu 24 October 2013:
If all proceeds according to plan then the sale of Manston airport could be a game-changer for the economy of Thanet and the wider East Kent.
The doomsayers and those who have consistently opposed the development and success of Manston as a fully-fledged cargo and passenger airport will, of course, say “we have been here before”. Those long in the tooth can remember the days when Silver City flew cars from Kent to the Channel Islands and since the full acquisition of the airfield from the Ministry of defence by Seabourne aviation there have certainly been a number of false starts and false dawns.
Nevertheless, Manston has defied the odds by remaining in business. The assets – not least one of the longest runways in Britain and a relatively modern air terminal – are still there and remain as a piece of the nation`s unrealised potential. If we allow this opportunity to ne squandered then it is highly likely that the Country`s supremacy as the location of Europe`s hub airport may be eroded to the point of extinction with the loss of tens of thousands of jobs not only in the aviation industry but in related service industries and in the financial heart of the nation, the City of London.
Already, flights that create welcome employment at Manston are transferring passengers from that airport, and from others in the South East, to Schiphol where travellers can “interline” and speed onwards to any location in the World. Germany`s Frankfurt and Charles de Gaulle airport outside Paris are also poised to pick up business and Dubai, although not “European” offers a central location at which holidaymakers and businessmen can change planes to reach most places around the globe.
The report being prepared by Sir Howard Davies in his review of aviation in the South East will not see the final light of day until after the 2015 General Election and decisions taken and based upon that report will take years of planning, funding and probable public inquiry to implement. “Boris Island” or additional runway capacity at Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted may be a gleam in the developer`s eyes but we are losing business to mainland Europe today, as I write, not twenty years ahead.
If Manston has ever had a time, it is now. Given the extension of High Speed One from Ashford through to Thanet, a sub-one-hour journey time from Central London and the pressing need to release landing and take-off slots and London`s two major airports to bridge the gap while major political decisions are taken and implemented and it becomes clear that Manston is not just a regional airport but a national asset that we simply cannot afford to waste any longer.
If Manston`s new owners succeed in taking the airport forward then the potential for thousands of new jobs on and off the airfield can transform the economy of one of the areas of highest social deprivation in the South East. If local and national politicians and Central Government fail to give the project the support though political will and investment in supporting infrastructure then the consequences may prove damaging and possibly disastrous not just for Kent but for UK Limited.
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Posted by M.S.lockwood, 19:43, Thu 24 October 2013: (Is this post abusive?) #
Anyone with any sense has only to look at a map of the SE of England. Manston has no real rail or road links to London and beyond. The M2 only needs an accident of any magnitude between Sittingbourne and Faversham and it grinds to a halt. A halt the can take some hours to sort out particularly if the Air Ambulance is required. Now look at the map. Lydd however is a 'stones throw' from both Ashford International R'way St'n and the M20. If any infrastructure is required very little in terms of improved road upgrading to improve connections to Ashford Int' and the M20!! Lydd is also more remote in terms of aircraft flying over residential areas. There is plenty of room to expand at Lydd in terms of both runway and airport facilities. Forget the argument of the nearby Dungeness nuclear power station as presenting danger. It is earmarked for closure. Again therefore local people who will be workless will be glad to find alternative employment on thier doorstep. Manston has had its day, exhausted all its chances. It is time to look at new and lower cost opportunities.
Posted by William Wilson, 09:37, Fri 25 October 2013: (Is this post abusive?) #
100% on the button. The prospects for this area our children and grand children will transform a deprived north Kent into a prosperous place for them and give Herne Bay , Whitstable , Canterbury a well deserved and long awaited boost. If new infrastructure is required then it will be a good investment. The case for Lydd is also very compelling and should be explored .