LETTER: lost business

Dear TDC,

I would like to protest regarding the proposed night flights between 11pm and 7am at Kent International airport. They would cause a great noise pollution to the town of Ramsgate and cause the town to lose jobs and investment far greater than night flights could create. Currently a large number of the population of Thanet tolerate the current large jets that use Kent International airport however simply some will not.

To promote Ramsgate as a seaside town with constant noise pollution would be to sign a warrant for the demise of the town altogether. The town is current benefiting from an influx of Londoners like myself and my brother and his family who moved here for quality of life. I still work in London and spend my wages in Ramsgate. I regularly employ locals for work on my property for work on investment properties I have purchased in Ramsgate, to maintain my vehicles, I spend my money in the local shops have my haircut here and the list could go on. To promote night flights would be to close the door for a lot of people who would wish to live in a seaside town such as this.

I would like to let you know of a personal experience on this subject. On 7th July 2007 myself, my brother’s family, my aunt and her friend spent the afternoon on the beach in Ramsgate. We watched as every 9 minutes a 747 jumbo jet flow low over the beach as it prepared to ‘bounce’, I believe is the term, as they practise their landing at Kent International airport.

My aunt and her friend, who where preparing to retire from London both with their own houses and no mortgage where so horrified at the noise that my aunt declared she could not live in a town that had this level of noise. She is currently purchasing a property in Broadstairs. In short on 7th July 2007 Ramsgate lost over million pounds of investment because two older ladies didn’t like the noise of the jets during the day. I would expect the repercussions of night flights would be further reaching. I would say now that if they did go ahead and they wake me when they pass over my property I would not consider staying in Ramsgate. I am all for the expansion of KIA but not at the cost of the local economy or a reduction of the quality of people’s lives.