Public get the chance to air views on airport expansion plans

Cllr David Green

Clipping: thisiskent

RAMSGATE town council is to hold a public meeting to discuss proposals for more night flights from Manston airport. Chairman David Green said the council decided to hold the debate after residents used last Wednesday's council meeting to vent their fears over more night noise disturbance. He said:

"Many of the statements made were against allowing night flights, with residents concerned regarding the impact they would have on the quality of life in Ramsgate and upon its development potential, both as a residential town and for the development of employment through visitor attractions."

At the meeting last Wednesday it was agreed that the council would hold a public meeting at 7pm at Chatham House Grammar School on Monday, October 25. Mr Green added:

"We need to listen further to residents' views, before deciding the council's position on night flights at the next council meeting on 3rd November."

Residents can leave their views on the message centre section of the council's website www.ramsgatetc.kentparishes.gov.uk



Sleepless in Thanet

Steve Dawe

Clipping: thisiskent

MANSTON airport proposes to have more night flights. To do this ignores the known health impacts of aircraft noise. Research shows exposure to aircraft noise is damaging to health and even impairs learning in children.

How productive will people in Thanet be if their sleep is disturbed, perhaps by noisy freight-carrying aircraft at night? The health evidence collected by researchers throughout the world is that there is a strong association between aviation noise at night and blood pressure problems.

There are also associations with increasing stress and anxiety. Some studies show increases in allergies – especially amongst children.

But more worrying is evidence that the learning ability of children is appreciably reduced if they live near busy airports. Near major airports, elderly people are more prone to die at earlier ages from heart and circulation problems.

Manston may opt for more air freight, bringing in higher-value lightweight items that are passed on to the China Gateway for distribution. Since employment in warehousing is low density (perhaps as little as 13 jobs an acre) and airports similarly use large areas of land for very little employment, we should all look sceptically at claims of significant jobs from Manston's expansion – or the China Gateway for that matter. We are still very much in recession and no regional airport in the UK is doing well at present. If successful, Manston and the China Gateway could potentially generate a lot more local air pollution from increased traffic. But oil prices are rising again as we head rapidly to the global peak of cheap, recoverable oil supplies, so success from these initiatives seems very unlikely.

Any perceived gain in jobs for Thanet at Manston has to be set against the losses of productivity and skills which are created by ill-health from noise and associated air pollution. What about the alternative of a combination of Pleasurama in Ramsgate, a revived Dreamland and Margate sea front and the creation of all-weather leisure facilities at Manston instead of airport expansion? Couple this with the Turner Contemporary and the possibility of a creative quarter in Margate copying Folkestone's and you might have an overall economic strategy that is more sustainable than more warehouses and more aircraft. Promotion of the No Use Empty approach to empty commercial properties – renting them at low rents rather than keeping them empty – to local arts groups and other locally-based organisations could help fill up long-term empty properties. Thanet's tourism has been day tripper-based for too long: more leisure and cultural facilities could change this.

It is a practical impossibility for the UK to cut greenhouse gas emissions if aviation use is not constrained. If aviation emissions are averaged across households, then each UK household is making about one third of its carbon emissions by the flights its members take. This is accomplished by a small proportion of households making a lot of flights and accounting for a lot of emissions in consequence. Even more surprising, the UK is top in the world for aviation emissions per adult – far ahead of the USA and other rich countries. Currently, each UK adult averages about 603 kg of carbon emissions from aviation use per year whilst the US average is only 275 kg per adult per year.

Journeys to Europe can be made by rail. This alone would cut emissions from aviation significantly. Domestic tourism and rail travel to the continent can substitute for flights, helping to boost UK tourism revenues. Kent Green Party wants all of Kent's airports converted to other leisure uses to support domestic tourism, not international flights. Wake up to this Thanet, or be woken up by night flights!

See more on: Health

Chairman sorry after complaints

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THE chairman of Kent County Council has apologised after complaints about the way he ran a Thanet Local Board meeting. Residents and councillors were angered by Bill Hayton's chairmanship of the meeting at Chatham House school on 27th September. They claimed Mr Hayton rudely curtailed and interrupted questions from the public on the issue of increased night flights from Manston airport.

Responding to a complaint by KCC councillor Liz Green, leader of KCC Paul Carter said Mr Hayton had the job of chairing a "highly charged and potentially difficult" meeting and was trying to ensure as many people as possible could put their points. Mr Carter denied Mr Hayton was antagonistic or aggressive, but added:

"Having said that, I have spoken to Mr Hayton about this and he apologises sincerely if his chairing of the meeting caused any annoyance or frustration to people attending the meeting."

Further complaints came after it was revealed that a video recording of the meeting did not work. A spokesman for KCC said:

"There was every intention in recording the meeting and we want to be as open and transparent as possible. Unfortunately, the meeting was not recorded due to a mistake made by the operator. Minutes of the meeting will be made available as soon as possible."

Night flights plan requesting take-off

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THE owners of Manston airport have applied for permission to run regular night flights. The planning application was submitted to Thanet council last Wednesday, seeking the right to run scheduled flights between 11.30pm and 6am. Airport boss Charles Buchanan believes permission, which it needs from Thanet council, is vital to the success of the airport. He said:

"We want to offer clarity for the community and people that use the airport. It is incredibly important because we have to satisfy passenger and freight operating at night but it is equally important that we operate with sensitivity."

The airport is asking for 1,995 quota count (QC) points per year, the equivalent of 500 take-offs or landings of 747s, which are rated QC 4. The airport's application says it will not operate aircraft of "greater than QC 4" between these hours. Thanet council will hold a consultation to assess the views of people living in Thanet in the coming weeks. Council leader Bob Bayford has promised to weight answers for people living directly on the flight paths. He said:

"We know that this is a hugely important issue for local people, especially those living under the flight path, which is why we are making these documents available to the public at the earliest possible opportunity. We want people to have the chance to see what Infratil have submitted to us."

The full application is available at Thanet council's website www.thanet.gov.uk

By saul leese saul.leese@krnmedia.co.uk

Herne Bay is 'the fall guy' for night flights

Clipping: thisiskent

HERNE Bay will be getting the worst of the night-flights deal being thrashed out at Manston, campaigners have warned. Kent International Airport owner Infratil is asking Thanet District Council to overturn the ban on regular night flying and let up to six cargo planes a night flying directly over Herne Bay. Manston claims development of passenger services will be possible only if the existing freight business is successful. And, to attract more freight, it must be able to schedule planes to land and take off at night.

The night flights will be fully laden cargo aircraft, which are usually older, louder planes. Every plane will count towards the total annual noise quota for the airport, and planes louder than the agreed maximum will be fined £1,000. Currently, flights over a set noise level which land of take-off at Manston after 11pm or before 6am are not allowed. If flights do happen, the carrier is liable for a £1,000 fine. Campaigner Phil Rose from Herne Bay is monitoring every Manston move. He said:

"What makes me angry is that Herne Bay is being set up as the fall guy and people need to know. Flights over Herne Bay will only count as being half as loud as they actually are, and pilots who break the rules, by being too loud or too low, will only get fined half as much. Manston will put all the planes they can over us, and we'll get the loudest. The impact on Herne Bay will be massive, and it will be all pain, no gain. The airport wants to move from two night flights a week to an average of 7.7 night flights per night – nearly a month's worth of noise every night. These old Boeing 747 cargo freighters sound like a pneumatic drill at full throttle seven metres away."

Bay city councillor Ron Flaherty, a former member of Kent International Airport consultative committee, said: "We are calling on Canterbury City Council officers to arrange a public meeting to hear what our residents have to say about this.

"It is clearly a most important issue to everyone who lives under the flight path. The last time this came up, Thanet District Council voted to have night flights but in a westerly direction – over Herne Bay. We must not be caught unawares this time."

He has called for council chief executive Colin Carmichael to chair the meeting. Campaigners are angry that meetings are being held in Thanet, but not Herne Bay. Paul Twyman, chairman of Kent International Airport, says he will now attend a meeting in Herne Bay. Those concerned about the plan can visit www.nonightflights.info to sign the online petition.

By jan thom

Public set to be asked for views on night flights from Manston airport

Bob Bayford

Clipping: thisiskent

THE public will be asked for their views on plans for regular night flights from Manston airport from 1st November. On Tuesday, Thanet council's chief executive Richard Samuel said its consultation on an application from airport owners Infratil for scheduled flights between 11pm and 6am will last approximately 12 weeks. Infratil submitted its proposals to Thanet council, the planning authority, last week. Part of its application is an assessment of the noise impact of its plans on surrounding towns and villages. Thanet council will have those claims independently reviewed before it launches its public consultation.

Infratil's application asks for 1,995 quota count (QC) points a year for flights at night, the equivalent of 500 take-offs or landings of Boeing 747s at QC4. QC ratings are given to all aeroplanes depending on the noise they create. Points are used up as flights take off and land at the airport at night. In its application Infratil states it will not operate aircraft of "greater than QC4" between 11pm and 6am. Any flights of QC4 or above would attract fines, to be paid into a community fund.

Airport chief executive Charles Buchanan believes a more flexible night flying policy is vital to the success of the airport. He said:

"We want to offer clarity for the community and people that use the airport. It is incredibly important because we have to satisfy passenger and freight operating at night, but it is equally important that we operate with sensitivity."

On Tuesday Thanet council's leader Bob Bayford stressed the importance of the council being impartial in deciding the application. He said:

"Neutrality is paramount. We are not obliged to have a public consultation, but we decided it is best practice to hold one."

Infratil is also seeking to halve quota points used per flight if the planes follow the routes set down in its current agreement with Thanet council. These routes – called noise abatement routes – have been agreed because they take into account aircraft safety and try to avoid flying over towns and villages. If the request is agreed this could potentially double the number of aircraft movements.

Councillor Mike Harrison, chairman of Thanet council's Airport Working Party, which is reviewing the night flying policy, said:

"We noted that Infratil wanted to halve the quota points of planes taking off to the west – over St Nicholas – and it is something we will be looking at closely."

Thanet council's consultation is expected to end in February. Mr Samuel said there would then follow a period to assess the public response, followed by a working party meeting, cabinet discussion and then a meeting of the full council. Any expansion of night flying is being vigorously opposed by campaigners. No Night Flights leader Steve Higgins, 36, believes Thanet council will not have time to complete a review of the airport's noise assessment. He said:

"They have not completed a thorough review of the noise assessment and are not taking into account public views. This assessment assumes noise levels based on people's windows being shut. What happens in the summer? There are still too many unanswered questions. Night flying will not be acceptable for residents in Ramsgate."

View the full application at Thanet council's website at www.thanet.gov.uk

By saul leese saul.leese@krnmedia.co.uk

Sleepless in Ramsgate

Clipping: yourthanet

People living under or near the flightpath of Manston airport could have their sleep shattered up to seven times a night if Thanet council supports plans from operator Infratil. The company’s application for a night-time flying policy has gone in to the local authority – and it wants as many as seven aircraft a night to fly in to the airport between 11.30pm and 6am – a period being labelled the ‘Night Time Quota Period’. Up to 1,995 planes could fly in at night during the year, which has been set as an annual limit.

The information, produced by Infratil, was submitted to the council late on Tuesday night last week. The company says the number of planes may not be that many to start with and is being applied for to allow it to press ahead with its expansion plans as set out in the masterplan document, published last year. The figures have taken more than a year to come into the public domain and are already proving divisive.

A No Night Flights campaign started last year, with the backing of the Stop Manston Expansion Group. Objectors say it will mean sleepless nights for many thousands in Thanet, as planes loaded with freight fly overhead during the small hours. Pete Binding, a Ramsgate resident who opposes night flights, said:

“Finally it’s been published and it’s even worse than we thought.”

Aircraft with a QC4 rating will not be able to make scheduled flights at night, but that accounts for only a tiny fraction of planes flying in Europe today. QC4 flights that are late or unscheduled will still be able to land, and many believe the penalty fines proposed in the application for such planes landing are simply not high enough. A fine of £1,000 will be applied, but fines for planes that take off and arrive from the west would be smaller. Mr Binding says Infratil has “invented” the Night Time Quota Period to make night-flying hours seem shorter:

“Airlines will gladly pay £1,000 for the right to fly the noisiest planes in the world into the airport at 3am.”

The areas most affected by the night flights are Ramsgate, St Nicholas-at-Wade, Monkton and Minster, but there is also likely to be opposition in Herne Bay [you can count on it! Ed.]. Thanet council will conduct a 12-week consultation on the issue before any decision is taken. Council leader Bob Bayford said:

“We know this is a hugely important issue for local people, which is why we are making these documents available to the public at the earliest opportunity. It has been made clear that people want the council’s independent assessment of this report available when the consultation starts. That’s why the formal consultation process is not beginning immediately. Of course, should people want to make their views known before we begin our formal consultation, we’d be happy to receive those. That will be followed by a thorough and extensive consultation.”

The start date of the consultation will be announced by the council soon.

Meeting? What meeting?

I was looking forward to the minutes of the TLB (That Lamentable Balls-up). I was really looking forward to the video. I was going to teach myself basic video editing, so that I could splice together Cllr Hayton's interjections and set them to an amusing soundtrack. However...

One of the audience at the Thanet Local Board's entry in The Worst-run Meeting of the Year awards agreed to being video-recorded on the understanding that a copy of the recording be made available. The recording proved elusive: first there was a brief diversion: "we need permission from the parents of the kids from the Kent Youth Council". Then came the suggestion of a phone call, for a quiet word presumably. And now, in a dazzling masterstroke... it vanishes.

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October 6 2010
Dear Councillor Carter,

I write to make you aware of the increasing disquiet and anger of a widespread and rapidly growing number of East Kent individuals and groups involved in examining the future of the proposed Kent International Airport development.

The two recent public meetings I have attended (KIACC 17/9 and Thanet Local Board 27/9) attracted a larger than expected number of members of the public. Discussion at both was less than useful, as was accurate information sought from those elected to represent them in response to the publics" questions.

The Thanet Local Board meeting (attended by yourself) was a travesty - shambolic, bullying and rude chairmanship by Cllr Bill Hayton; avoidance or refusal to respond to questions; another exercise in kicking the real issues into the long grass.

I now understand, surprise, surprise, that there is no record of this meeting. No accurate minutes were taken and the video document taken of the whole proceedings has disappeared. We"re told that the operator didn"t press the right button (despite members of the audience seeing the red record light was on!). How very convenient! If this farce continues a growing number of East Kent constituents will be seeking a quick exit for members of both Councils - and their highly paid executives.

I would like to know what action you intend to take to prevent any repetition of this kind of fiasco and allow your constituents to access factual and honest information about KIA developments. In the light of the impending consultation process through TDC now being mooted it is essential that the whole exercise is both democratic and transparently fair, and not, as many fear, a quasi-legal rubber stamping of matters already decided behind doors.

Yours Sincerely

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Here's some of what would undoubtedly have been a viral video hit, as reported by yourthanet.co.uk:

A member of the public got up close and personal to remonstrate with Kent County Council leader Paul Carter on Monday night (September 27). Ramsgate resident Malcolm Kirkaldie mounted the stage at Chatham House Grammar School as the atmosphere at the KCC Thanet Local Board meeting soured.

He was annoyed at the way the meeting was being chaired by councillor Bill Hayton and said he felt that not all the people asking questions of the panel were not being allowed to ask supplementary questions. He was riled when a man asking questions before him was not allowed to ask a further question, and then when his own turn came to ask something immediately afterwards, a growing sense of disorganisation and clarity took its toll.

Just a few seconds into his question, Cllr Hayton tried to hurry Mr Kirkaldie into getting to his point before he was allowed to add some context to what he was saying. An irritated audience berated the chairman as Mr Kirkaldie got up from his seat to leave.

At first it looked like Mr Kirkaldie was going to storm out, but he turned on to the stage and, standing yards from the shocked-looking KCC leader, gave him a tongue-lashing – although exactly what he said was not clear. Cllr Hayton told Mr Kirkaldie to get off the stage several times before he obliged and left the meeting in the school hall, slamming the doors behind him.

He complained outside that the whole meeting was being carried out in an undemocratic fashion but later re-entered looking relaxed. Mr Kirkaldie was seen chatting amicably with Cllr Carter outside the hall after the event, and Yourthanet understands he was able to put his question to him in the end. Nevertheless, there was widespread dissatisfaction with the way the meeting had been conducted.

One member of the audience, who declined to be named, described the event as "probably the worst public meeting I have attended in my whole life".

QQQQQQQQQQQ!

Here's an economy dozen of the finest, freshest questions to come marching in the door, demanding answers.

QUESTION 1
Would you please ask TDC to put the Schedule 106 currently applicable to Kent International/ Manston Airport up on its website so that the electorate can see what it says?

QUESTION 2
I notice that Infratil advises KIACC of the number of passenger and cargo flights each month. Could you please email me Infratil's month by month breakdown of the number of aircraft movements for each of these categories for the period April 2009 to August 2010 or, better still, arrange for them to go up on TDC's website?

QUESTION 3
Could you please ask Infratil to give a month by month breakdown of the number of cargo flights and the number of passenger flights between 23:00 and 7:00 from April 2009 to August 2010 and either email them to me or put them up on TDC's website?

QUESTION 4
Can you assure those under the flight path that there is always air traffic control and RFF [Rescue Fire Fighting] at the airport whenever a plane lands or departs? [Any variation of 'no' in answer to this question is truly alarming for the populations of Ramsgate and Herne Bay.]

QUESTION 5
Does the current Section 106 define 'scheduled'? [I note that Alan Stratford & Assoc raised the question of the definition of 'scheduled' in 6.22 of their Review of the Section 106 in 2005. This report was commissioned by TDC and is still on their website.]

QUESTION 6
For a flight to be 'scheduled', it simply has to be done according to a timetable. Unlike a passenger airline, a cargo airline's timetable might vary considerably especially if it is flying fresh produce. The airport's Geographical and Administrative Data states that Security requires 24 hour advance notice. Customs and Immigration requires notice by 15:00/16:00 hours on the previous day depending on whether it is summer or winter. In other words, these cargo flights which are arriving and departing during the night are not emergency flights; they have a schedule which has to be notified to the airport in advance. They are, therefore, scheduled night flights. Why have the appropriate fines not been collected for the Community Fund?

QUESTION 7
Who are the legal advisers who will be helping TDC through the negotiation process for the new Section 106 and how much relevant aviation experience have they got? I understand under the FOI we are entitled to know.

QUESTION 8
Why have TDC ignored the advice regarding Enforcement and Penalties in the report they commissioned from Alan Stratford & Assoc in 2005 [pps 31, 33]? 

QUESTION 9
Could TDC please explain how ignoring Alan Stratford's recommendations benefits the electorate?

QUESTION 10
Except in emergencies, all QC4 aircraft have been banned from Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted between the hours of 23:30 and 6:00am since October 2005. No aircraft over QC4 are allowed to land between 23:00 and 7:00am. There is a movements limit and a noise quota. Could KIACC please explain, therefore, how QC4 aircraft come to be flying in over Ramsgate and Herne Bay at any hour of the night without penalty when this is not allowed at the UK's busiest, noisiest airports? This benefits Infratil but I cannot see how it benefits TDC's electorate.

QUESTION 11
Why has the consultation period on the night flights been reduced from 6 months to 12 weeks? Once again the benefits to Infratil are easier to see than the benefits to the electorate.

Ramsgate Town Council consultation

At the Ramsgate Town Council meeting this coming Wednesday 6th October at 7pm, Cllr David Green is going to be asking the council how best they can consult (separately, it seems, from TDC) with people in Ramsgate.

Venue: The Council Chamber, The Custom House, Harbour Parade, Ramsgate.

As we know, many of 'our' councillors appear in favour of the proposal. Councillors Jill Kirby and Brenda Rogers claimed overwhelming support for night flights following their own consultation with residents in Nethercourt 18 months ago, but when pressed, admitted that the survey had not been exhaustive but a good sample had been taken!

It would be good for Ramsgate Town Council to get a good feel for the opposition to the proposal and so we need a fair crowd. If RTC end up throwing their weight (bantam though it be) behind the proposal, it will make it harder still for us. Cllr Green is happy for questions to be submitted in advance as well as taking them on the evening. Questions can be emailed to them from their WEBSITE.

If they are, in fact, still making up their collective mind as to what they think of the proposed new night flight policy, this is the best possible time to tell them what you think - you might even tip the balance! And if you've got any ideas about how they can best run an effective consultation, do let them know.