KENT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE

TUESDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 2014

Meeting held in the Library and Neighbourhood Centre, 4a Monkton Road, Minster

Present: Paul Twyman (Chairman), Cllr. M Jarvis (Birchington Parish Council), Cllr.P Vickery-Jones

Canterbury City Council), Cllr. Mrs V Hovenden (Cliffsend Parish Council), Cllrs. D Day & B Grove

(Minster Parish Council), Cllr N Cole (Monkton Parish Council), Cllr R Nicholson (Thanet District

Council)

KALC representatives ; L Claisse (Canterbury) and Mrs. S Hooper (Dover)

Clerk to the Committee: Roy Wade

Apologies for absence: Cllr. Mrs. Iris Johnston (Leader Thanet District Council)

1  MINUTES

The minutes of the meeting held on 8th

 July 2014 were approved and signed by the

Chairman.

2  DOCUMENTS CIRCULATED

The Chairman reported that he had received correspondence on the Civil Aviation Act

1982 which had been tabled by the Clerk at the meeting. The extract from the act

referred to aerodromes and land and the need for consultation with

(i)  Local authorities in whose areas the aerodrome or any part is situated,

(ii)  Other local authorities whose areas are in the neighbourhood of the aerodrome;

and

(iii) Other organisations representing the interests of persons concerned with the

locality in which the aerodrome is situated.

The Chairman sought Members views on the status of Manston and expressed the

view that having regard to the papers circulated it was an aerodrome and that the

consultation set out in the CAA 1982 had not been followed.

AGREED: This view was unanimously endorsed by the Committee.

The Chairman also made reference to the recent item on BBC News and the Clerk

circulated a copy of that item entitled “Manston Airport site sold for manufacturing

and homes” to those Members at the meeting.

3  GENERAL POSITION AND C.P.O. UPDATE.

The Chairman asked Cllr. Nicholson to update Members on the latest situation and

particularly in respect of the proposed compulsory purchase order.

Cllr Nicholson set out briefly the background to the purchase of Manston by Ann Gloag

and the forming of a new company to run the operation. The latest developments in

respect of the selling off of the airport had begun a process of consultation and the

Leader of T.D.C. would be meeting the various interest parties on 2 October 2014 in

the north of England to address the way forward and this would form part of a report

 

to the Cabinet of TDC on the 16th October. Members were also advised that

advertisements had been placed to ascertain the viability and interests in buying the

airport and the purposes and intended uses that the successful purchaser would use it

for. To date 4 responses had been received which included submissions from Discovery

Park, Sandwich and River Oak. Part of the River Oak submission would include the

building of 2000 residential units and Members expressed concerns over the impact of

such development on the local infrastructure including the road network, schools and

medical support services. In response to Paul Twyman Cllr. Nicholson confirmed that

the advertisement seeking expressions of interest in the future of Manston were to be

received to allow for them to be evaluated and reported upon to Cabinet on 16

October.The information from the responses received will be analysed internally by

TDC officers and reported to Cabinet on 16 October.

Cllr. Day said that it was difficult to consider a reasoned response to the future of

Manston as so little information had been put into the public domain.

Cllr. Cole agreed and understood the difficulty of this committee, or indeed the

general public, to make meaningful comments. The future use could be a mix of

airport/residential development and business similar to airports such as Mumbai and

that it may be not necessary for TDC to seek compulsorily purchase powers.

There was a general discussion in respect of the campaign being waged against Ann

Gloag and the nature of this campaign was deplored by the committee. Reference was

also made to the remarks of Grant Chaps.

Legal Situation and Business Plans

The Chairman asked who would be undertaking the legal work in respect of the

proposals and Cllr. Nicholson said that TDC were using legal chambers in Lon don for

the advice of barristers and solicitors and that River Oak would also use the same

chamber if its bid was successful. River Oak has also said that it would pay both parties

legal fees if its bid was accepted.

Cllr Jarvis asked whether the business plans had been received by TDC particularly in

respect of the Discovery Park Consortium and River Oak and it was confirmed that

they had.

Job Creation

Members discussed the numbers of jobs created by the Discovery Park Consortium

and it was suggested that, perhaps, 1800 jobs had been created and over 90 firms

brought into the park. However Committee were sceptical that this could be repeated

and concerns were expressed that the prime objective may be to create a substantial

land bank. The Chairman shared this view and said that in his opinion the land bank

would be held for residential development. Cllr Nicholson confirmed the Chairman’s

view that the airport site would be considered a “brownfield” site 

General Comments

The Chairman asked what the implications would be if air services were to

recommence. Cllr Cole responded that his understanding was that there would be no

night flights but early morning flights. Cllr Nicholson advised that if if the airport were

to operate flights a detailed business plan and submissions would need to be made to

Howard Davies.

 

Members noted that the Government has allocated £10m funding for the Parkway

project but detailed proposals on its location and operational matters were still to be

finalised.

Cllr. Mrs. Hovenden reported that Jentex was to be re-located and that she

understood that the site would then be used for sheltered accommodation and that

there were no underground petrol/diesel storage tanks to detract the land being used

for such accommodation. A planning application was about to be submitted.

The valuation of the 720/740 acres of land would be agreed between the parties to the

transaction and if agreement cannot be reached the valuation will be referred to the

Lands Tribunal.

Continuation of Committee

It was agreed that the Committee should continue to operate for the time being and it

was further agreed that the next meeting would be at 2pm on Tuesday 18 November

2014 and held in the Neighbourhood Centre.