Members will recall that the Society has always strongly opposed developer RSP’s proposed reopening of Manston Airport as a freight hub.

Despite the proposed Development Control Order (DCO) being opposed by the Planning Inspectorate following public hearings (at which the Society was represented), the Secretary of State agreed the DCO. Then followed a series of judicial reviews led by local resident Jenny Dawes, further consultations, a report by highly respected international consultancy Arup which agreed with the Planning Inspectors’ view that there was no need for a new freight hub, but the SoS finally approved the DCO in 2022.

However, a DCO does not guarantee a reopened airport: there remain a number of significant hurdles for RSP to jump over, including the resiting of the High Resolution Direction Finder (HRDF) which the MoD will insist upon on national security grounds; decisions on flight paths which the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) must sign off (of which more, below); securing Runway End Safety Areas (RESAs) in case of aircraft over-runs; and Public Safety Zones (PSZs) which have important consequences for planning applications and compensation liabilities over a wide area.

There is currently a consultation underway concerning flight paths in and out of Manston. This runs until June 22 and mainly involves people who feel they have an interest and concerns about the draft proposals having the chance to make their views known. If you are interested you need to access the Manston Airport Airspace Change Proposal Website. RSP is required to undertake this consultation but it would be naive to imagine that it will have much if any effect on the outcome.

Flight paths are mainly influenced by certain givens, such as the orientation of runways and prevailing wind directions. Attempts to minimise noise disruption may be sought but the freedom of manoeuvre is very constrained and changes which benefit some areas will probably be offset by greater pain to others. The only thing certain is that thousands of people will be disturbed by the noise of huge, older freight aircraft.

We are not Nimbys: major freight airports such as Heathrow and East Midlands are critically important to the economy, and it is unfortunately inevitable that many people in their vicinity are affected. But most experts including those in the air freight business do not believe that there is a lack of capacity in the UK, and therefore no need for a new hub at Manston. Given that, there is no justification for thousands of people locally to be asked to suffer unacceptable noise pollution. You have a chance to make that case to RSP.

Finally, there is an elephant in this room, or hangar. Night flights. I will come back to this highly controversial issue in a future Newsletter. Everything you can say about aircraft noise has to be multiplied by three when it comes to night flights.

Mike Ashley, Vice-President.