4.6.1 This section provides an overview of baseline groundwater information for Thanet and briefly examines surface water issues relating to Pegwell Bay. Reference is made to surface water in the Marshes surrounding the Isle of Thanet, but this is not examined in detail.

4.6.2 Water is a significant feature of Thanet. The low lying marshes around Thanet, the River Stour and its catchment, the coastal area and the extensive and major aquifer under Thanet are all important water resources for the region. The North Kent area receives an annual rainfall 714mm with an effective rainfall 266mm. Thanet receives the least rainfall in this area with an average annual rainfall of less than 600mm. Surface drainage is strongly influenced by the permeable character of the geology of the Thanet area. Winter rainfall replenishes the Upper Chalk aquifer which itself provides drinking water to the locality and areas outside Thanet. The aquifer itself provides in the region of 13,896 ML/year and has authorised abstractions of 10,572 ML/year (76% of the available resource is committed to abstraction).

4.6.3 There are very few surface water courses in North Kent and they all display a high degree of seasonal fluctuation in level, principally due to the effect of aquifer water storage (EA, 1999). The key surface water courses in the North East Kent area that may be relevant to this study are the River Wantsum and the River Stour (Map 15).

4.6.4 The Major aquifer under Thanet is shown in (Map 16). An adit from the borehole at Lord of the Manor (Grid Reference TR 3535 6510) runs directly under LMA and defines the inner protection zone of the aquifer (Map 17). Southern Water hold the abstraction licence to abstract from the borehole at Lord of the Manor. Water is abstracted from the chalk aquifer for a range of uses. Details of these abstractions are provided in (Appendix 7).

4.6.5 Recent aquifer clean-up schemes within Thanet have shown that the water table is known to vary seasonally (Table 39). Flows on Thanet are assumed to follow a radial pattern from the centre of Thanet towards the sea/lowland. This differs near abstractions and adits, seasonally and due to the differing permeabilities within the chalk.

Recorded by EA at Manston Cleansing St. Grid Ref: TR32406690 Oct 1998-June 2001

4.6.6 Groundwater in Thanet is coming under increased pressure from the abstraction of water for agriculture and potable purposes. As a result there is increasing concern that declining underground water resources leaves this supply vulnerable to pollution. Diffuse pollution results mainly from agriculture fertiliser or pesticide applications which is difficult to trace or monitor and therefore control (EA, 1999).

4.6.7 Within the Thanet Chalk Block, nitrate contours show concentration in excess of maximum admissible limit for water supply (EA, 1999). Four public water supply boreholes in Thanet were affected by high nitrate concentrations and recently as a result of this, Southern Water have installed a denitrifying plant at the Lord of the Manor pumping station.

4.6.8 Baseline groundwater quality data for Thanet could not be obtained for this assessment as it is the property of Southern Water and is commercially sensitive.

4.6.9 Available historical surface water quality for the Great Stour is presented in Table 40. This location is tidal but provides an indication of water quality from the Stour catchment.

EA (2001) For Great Stour Grid Ref: TR339620

4.6.10 Sea water quality is presented in Table 41. Standards are set in the Bathing Waters Directive to ensure protection of bathers and the UK uses the coliform standards to assess the compliance of the bathing water. Coliforms are bacteria which are generally accepted as an indicator for sewage pollution although they do not themselves cause health problems. Therefore compliance with the coliform standards indicates good control of any nearby sewage discharges. The Imperative Coliform Standards are:

4.6.11 The Directive also sets standards for Guideline Coliform and Faecal Streptococci Standards for bathing waters; these are values which the Member State should endeavour to observe. They are more stringent than the Imperative standards and are set as targets to be achieved in the longer term. Here the standards are:

4.6.12 Sea water quality data for Pegwell Bay, suggests that in May 1998, levels of total coliforms and faecal streptococci exceeded the Bathing Directives Guideline standards. Between July 1995 and July 2001, there were a total of eight months (of all months between May and September during this period) when these standards were exceeded and in one month (July 2001) total coliforms reached eight times the guideline standards.

EA (2001) For Ramsgate (West of Ramsgate in Pegwell Bay) Ref: TR372640. pH varied between 8.0 and 8.1 between Jun-97-July-01

4.6.13 No data has been obtained on the content of hydrocarbons in the sea water on the Thanet coast. It should be considered that the Thames Estuary is known to have high levels of hydrocarbons as a result of shipping and industry.

Key sensitivities

4.6.14 On the basis of this review of baseline water quality, two key sensitivities will be used to assess the impact of the growth of LMA (Table 42). The water quality of Pegwell Bay will be considered in the context of any potential outfalls of pollutants and the potential contamination of the aquifer under LMA.

4.7.1 This section presents baseline information on road traffic in Thanet. Although other transport issues are largely outside the scope of this assessment, references will be made to the baseline modal split in transport in Thanet and other transport related issues across the district. In addition, information on traffic along five principal arterial routes into LMA are examined in more depth.

TDC (2000)

4.7.5 Over 76% of Thanet residents travelling to full time work or education travel to destinations within Thanet with only 20% travel to elsewhere in Kent on a daily basis. Only 2% travel to London (TDC, 2000) (Table 44).

TDC (2000)

TDC (2000)

4.7.7 Current road access to Manston from London via the North of Kent is good. Road access to Manston from London starts with the M25, along the M2, and continues to Manston on the Thanet Way (A299 and A253). A number of improvements have recently been undertaken:

4.7.8 The above access to Thanet and Manston has a capacity for growth of road traffic in the area of 25% by 2015.

4.7.9 Five routes have been selected of interest in the context of LMA. These are as follows:

4.7.10 Northern feeder roads to LMA, Manston Court Road and traffic flows through Manston village are also relevant to traffic impacts and will be discussed separately within this assessment.

4.7.11 Traffic counts for the selected routes are provided in Table 46 and Table 47.

BABTIE (2001) From 1998 and 2000 traffic count data

BABTIE (2001) From 1998 and 2000 traffic count data

4.7.12 On the basis of a growth factor of the growth factor of 1.26% over a 10 year period, forecasts for 2010 have been calculated for these arterial routes.

BABTIE (2001) From 1998 and 2000 traffic count data and using a growth factor of 1.26%

4.7.13 There are two scheduled changes to the existing road network in North East Kent and Thanet which will have a significant impact on any predictions of future growth and capacity of roads in the area. The first is the East Kent Access Scheme and the second is the improvements to Thanet Way.

4.7.14 The East Kent Access Scheme has three aims:

4.7.15 The scheme involves three phases. In summary these are as follows:

4.7.17 In addition to these scheduled improvements, two further unscheduled improvements are currently being discussed. The first is a bypass of Manston village and the second are improvements to the northern feeder roads to the north of LMA. Details of these improvements are not yet available. However, the Central Island Initiative - Supplementary Planning Guidance outlines possible highway changes in the Manston area that have been proposed. These include:

4.7.19 On the basis of this review of baseline traffic, three key sensitivities have been selected as representative of traffic issues in Thanet (Table 50). Traffic capacity will be used as a general term to define the extent to which the development of LMA will affect the ability of those identified routes to serve traffic needs of the area. Local villages will represent those communities living in the locality of the airport and adjacent to the major arterial routes into LMA. Northern feeder road communities are those communities living along feeder roads to the north of the airport.

4.8.1 Baseline noise contours have been produced on the basis of air traffic movements during the summer of 2000 and 2001 by Manchester Airport. These contours are presented in Maps 19 and 20. Manchester Airport have also modelled noise contours for air traffic movements in 2001 (Map 21).

4.8.2 The extent to which the existing noise levels as a result of air traffic movements and airport operations cause annoyance to the locality can be judged on the basis of published data on annoyance from aircraft noise and from existing complaints data.

Manchester Airport (1993)

4.8.5 Guidelines on acceptable noise levels are provided by the World Health Organisation Table 52. To put these levels in context, studies of noise levels in UK have shown that during the day, 56% of the population are exposed to 55Leq and 26% are exposed to over 60Leq (Table 53).

4.8.6 LMA have received a range of complaints from noise associated with ATMs since January 2001. The numbers and nature of daytime complaints are presented in Table 54. In addition to these, LMA received six night time complaints of noise between the hours of 2300-0700. All these complaints were from Windermere Avenue, Ramsgate.

4.8.7 Map 22 identifies the location of origin of these complaints. Clearly most of the complaints are located under the flight path of aircraft either just before landing or just after take-off to the east of the runway. Noise complaints from Birchington are likely to be a result of noise from the climb-out of aircraft using the Noise Preferential Route (NPR) (Map 9).

4.8.8 Noise Abatement procedures have been established at LMA. These are provided in Appendix 1.

4.8.9 Unlike the assessment of airborne aircraft noise, there is no definitive agreement on the method of assessment for ground noise (Manchester Airport pers.com.). Currently no baseline information is available on ground noise and no complaints from noise of traffic related to LMA have been received.

4.8.10 On the basis of this review of baseline noise at LMA, local residents have been identified as the key receptor to noise generated as a result of the development of LMA. Local residents are those residents living both in the locality of LMA and underneath or near the flightpaths (as defined by noise contours) or living adjacent to key arterial roads serving LMA.

4.9.1 Thanet covers an area of 40 square miles, with 26 miles of coastline made up of a series of sandy beaches, backed by chalk cliffs. The area has three main resorts; Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate. They are all traditional seaside resorts, but differ in character (Table 56).

4.9.2 Thanet’s tourism market can be segmented into a range of categories with associated characteristics (Table 57).

4.9.3 The overall age profile of visitors to Thanet is generally mature, with 72% of staying visitors aged 45+ years, compared to 48% nationally. 67% of day visitors in 1998 were 45+ years (SEETB, 1998).

4.9.4 The socio-economic profile of visitors to Thanet is similar to the UK population as a whole (Table 58).

4.9.5 Thanet has a range attractions on offer, these include a large number of museums, historic buildings and open spaces and a range of popular entertainment attractions including arcades and cinemas.

4.9.7 In addition to these attractions, Thanet is host to a range of important annual events that also attract large numbers of visitors each year, notably the Broadstairs folk festival. 

4.9.8 Visitors come to Thanet for a wide range of reasons. A recent study by Chrysalis Market Research (1997) showed that the seaside and beaches were by far the most frequently mentioned reason for coming to Thanet. Staying and day visitors both cited the beaches as the most important thing that they liked about Thanet, with a quarter of staying visitors to Broadstairs stating that in addition to the beach they highly valued the peace and quiet.

4.9.9 Whilst in Thanet, visitors make use of a wide range of activities and have a high propensity to move between resorts. (SEETB, 1998). Staying visitors devote most time to walking along the promenade, shopping and using the beach. Almost all visitors with Children use the beach and half to three quarters of all staying visitors spend time on the beach. Walks in the countryside are less frequent, but a quarter of those staying in Ramsgate of Margate may walk in the Thanet countryside (Chrysalis, 1997).

4.9.10 Activities by day visitors are similar to staying visitors, with the top three activities being walking along the promenade, shopping and spending time on the beach. Walks and museums are much less popular for day visitors.

4.9.11 Day visitors and staying visitors are generally reasonably aware of attractions across Thanet, with 60-70% of all visitors have good awareness of the larger attractions. 50% of staying visitors and 45% of day visitors are aware of the Spitfire Museum at Manston (Chysalis, 1997).

4.9.12 Rural parts of Thanet are increasingly being given over to the keeping of horses. Notably, is the development of the ‘Thanet Ride’ Bridle Network which is currently being completed in and around Manston. In addition to the use for riding, the network will also be used by cyclists and walkers.

4.9.13 Thanet has a total of 198 accommodation establishments, offering 10,884 bedspaces (SEETB, 1998).

4.9.14 Currently, Thanet’s accommodation is restricted in quality. A relatively low proportion of hotels and guest houses have been inspected and graded. There is a limited range of serviced accommodation, with only 4 hotels of 4 crown plus rating and only one of the major hotel chains are represented. In addition much of the existing stock is of poor quality and of limited range in terms of size and associated facilities (SEETB, 1998). Holiday operators have expressed a need for hotel facilities across Thanet to be upgraded to meet modern market expectations (SEETB, 1998).

4.9.15 Trends in transport modes in accessing Thanet varies according to which resort visitors are visiting. In 1998, under half of visitors to Margate travelled by car, whilst almost 2 in 5 came by coach, in addition over a tenth travelled by train. About 75% of visitors to Ramsgate and Broadstairs travelled by car with the rest largely travelling by coach (SEETB, 1998).

4.9.16 67% of overseas visitors in 1998, arrived in Ramsgate by ferry, the rest used Dover (6%), the Tunnel (6%) or came by plane or their own boat. 

4.9.17 29% of ferry passengers passing through Thanet to the Ramsgate ferry in 1997, were found to spend time in Thanet either before departing from Ramsgate or on their return. 75% of these passengers spent more than 2 hours visiting parts of Thanet and 15% stayed or planned to stay overnight in Thanet. These were almost all short-stayers (82% 1-3 nights), and over a half (58%) staying for one night only.

4.9.18 On the basis of this review of the existing recreation and tourism in Thanet, a number of key sensitivities have been selected as representative of the attributes of the tourism and recreational locations and attractions across Thanet (Table 65).

4.9.19 The beach, promenade and marina at Ramsgate has been selected on the basis that it falls directly underneath the easterly flightpath into LMA. It is recognised that there are a diverse range of other aspects of tourism and recreation that may be affected by the development of LMA and therefore it must be considered that these receptors are representative of the wider impacts on tourism and recreation in Thanet.

4.10.1 This section provides and overview of the social and economic baseline of the Thanet and East Kent. It identifies the key demographic characteristics, a summary of a range of socio-economic indicators and details of the current education and skills status of three key areas within the ‘East Kent Triangle’. The East Kent Triangle covers Thanet, Canterbury and Dover.

4.10.2 Thanet has a total population of approximately 130,000. Figures from 1999 (KCC, 2001) suggest that Thanet has a large proportion of elderly (65years and above) and a small population of 16-24 year olds (Table 66).

4.10.4 Ward populations for Thanet are shown in. It can be seen that there has been a substantial decline in population in a number of wards including Newington and Northdown Park. The locations of these wards are shown in (Map 23).