A meeting of the Airport Working Party will be held at 7.00 pm today Tuesday, 19 May 2009 in The Passenger Lounge, Kent International Airport, Manston, Kent.I believe the crux of what is going on with the airport at the moment is that it is operating at a considerable loss and the airport operator wants a further relaxation of the environmental rules that it operates under in the hope of attracting more business.
If this is successful the people who will be most effected by this will be the people of Ramsgate as there will be more over flying of the town and therefore more noise and air pollution.
On the other approach detection the people of Herne Bay will also be effected although probably to a lesser extent as they are further away from the airport so aircraft will probably be higher when over flying the town.
It's about time that the national news organisations were alerted to what's happening down here.
ReplyDeleteIf Westminster can be put under the microscope then surely in the current climate, the relationship between TDC Councillors and Infratil should have the lid lifted on it, once and for all.
I'm sure that they've nothing to hide and would welcome a bright light being shone into the nether regions of both bodies.
I worked at the BBC until fairly recently so I'm happy to start the ball rolling there ( and I don't mean with some hopeless local hack with a cameraman and soundman doing a 60second piece to camera )
I know of one local blog-contributor who was one of the Sunday Times 'Insight' team. If you're reading this...
So what they're saying can be summed-up as the following:
ReplyDelete'We're pretty empty during the day because we're not attracting enough business. Give us the right to ruin yours and your children's sleep and we will make money at Ramsgate's expense by attracting the night-flights that no other local council with half a brain would dare inflict on it's residents'
Furthermore, if I was running a loss making business and I could push a supine local council to add any value to it by relaxing its operating rules I would. Why? Because in the event of wishing to off-load said business at some time in the future, I'd want to make it as attractive a proposition as possible. It's no different to buying a house that already has planning permission granted for an extension etc.
Finally, what exactly, in financial terms does KIA contribute to TDC / KCC coffers in terms of tax-revenues? What impact if any does this have on matters?
Re: The first two posts -
ReplyDeleteNo local councillor should be allowed to hold office for more than 4 years.
This will give the good ones a chance to make a difference and then step down with the unanimous praise of a grateful populace ringing in their ears. Example set and expectations high, the next one takes office.
The poor ones can get back to their basket-weaving, never to be heard of again. The local parties will have to work harder to attract the right calibre of candidate in the first place. This may even lead to them actually engaging with voters outside of election time if they're to find these people. Shock. Horror.
Equally, senior officers of the council should only serve and be offered a 4 year contract. Once the 4 years are up, they have to re-apply for their jobs. Anyone see a wheat and chaff seperation process developing here?
Fresh-thought continually replenshing the body-politic can only be a good thing. We're witnessing at Westminster the results of many, many people paying the price for seeing politics as a career choice. Familiarity breeds contempt, laziness and a lack of vision.
Time-servers, by definition have sell-by dates. How many of ours have already passed the 'best use by' part of their local political career arc?
So, where's the problem?
Good Luck to infratil, most of us in Thanet are right behind you!
ReplyDeleteEr, don't think so.
ReplyDelete