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CPRE Kent press release, 07-02-06 . For immediate release.

Once again, Thanet will be blighted by night flying without consultation.

The Kent branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE)[1] has expressed dismay that, once again, there will be night flying from Manston, with none of the legally required consultation taking place.

Jim Little, campaigns officer for the environmental charity, said: ‘When Manston’s general manager, Phil Vann, announced last week that passenger flights would start again from the airport this summer, he specifically said they would “operate during daytime hours”[2]. Yet one of the Kent Escapes departures from Kent International, to Barcelona , will take off at 23.55[3], making it a night flight by nearly an hour[4], and frequently more because of delays.

‘Jet aircraft will once more be flying from Thanet when people are trying to sleep,’ Mr Little continued, ‘and once more the required consultation hasn’t taken place. Manston is obliged[5] to operate a consultative committee which discusses any development of the airport; but the consultative committee was suspended last year, and has not been re-convened to debate the hours at which passenger aircraft will operate.

‘In late 2004,’ Mr Little said, ‘EUJet got into hot water for starting night flights at Manston without conforming to the conditions of the Section 106 Agreement which was supposed to oversee the airport’s development. Infratil appears to be just as intent on playing outside the rules.

‘Jet aviation has the potential to destroy peoples’ quality of life, and its development must therefore be carefully controlled. CPRE Kent does not call for Manston to be shut down – we welcome passenger flights at the airport, but the whole thing has to be done properly. Last year’s public consultation over the Section 106 Agreement demonstrated the extent to which night flying from Manston is a serious concern for Thanet residents – Infratil and Thanet District Council[6] must not ignore these people. It is, after all, their windows and doors which will rattle and shake under the thunder of low-flying aircraft in the middle of the night.

‘For the moment,’ Mr Little concluded, ‘it is a matter of one flight a week. But as passenger aviation grows at the airport, what evidence is there that the quality of life of local residents will be considered?’

Jim Little
Campaigns Officer

CPRE Kent
3, Evegate Park Barn
Station Road
Smeeth
TN25 6SX
jim.little@cprekent.org.uk
www.cprekent.org.uk
01303 815183 (direct line)

Notes for editors:

 [1] The Campaign to Protect Rural England exists to promote the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England by encouraging the sustainable use of land and other natural resources in town and country. We promote a positive long-term future for the countryside – one which values its natural and built environment. Our Patron is Her Majesty the Queen. We have 60,000 supporters, a branch in every county, nine regional groups, over 200 local groups and a national office in London . CPRE is a powerful combination of effective local action and strong national campaigning. Our President is Sir Max Hastings.
CPRE Kent is the charity’s largest county group, with more than 3,000 supporters, 12 district groups and three special-interest groups, which focus on housing, transport and environment.

[2] From Infratil’s press release, 1 Feb 2006: ‘Kent Escapes, part of the Seguro Travel Group, announced today that they will fly to two of Europe ’s premier resorts this summer. Flights to Faro in Portugal ’s popular Algarve region and Barcelona , servicing the holiday destination of Costa Brava , will operate during daytime hours every Thursday from 25 May until 26 October 2006.’

Full press release at: http://www.kia-m.com/news.asp  

[3] Kent International (MSE) to Barcelona (BCN), 25 May 2006 to 19 October 2006, timings (local): MSE 23.55 – BCN 03.10.

From http://www.kentescapes.com

[4] It is universally accepted that night-time hours for airports are 2300 to 0700.

[5] Under Section 35 of the Civil Aviation Act, 1982.

[6] Council Leader Sandy Ezekiel said about the Section 106 consultation in 2005: ‘People have taken the opportunity to put their views forward on this issue and some clear messages have emerged. We appreciate that the issue of night flights is one which particularly affects those under the flight path and we will be looking very carefully at the statistics from this summer's night flights. The successor 106 Agreement needs to maintain people's quality of life as far as is possible. We will be using the feedback from the public consultation to ensure that this happens.’
As far as CPRE Kent can see, this is not being done.

From http://www.m-a-g.fsnet.co.uk/facts/46_consultation_update.htm