access allowed

To date Riveroak have been trying to get to the starting gate so that they can take control of the former Kent International Airport. As they say talk is cheap. The list of conditions to get to the starting line is growing however one hurdle has been negotiated all be it it has taken 6 months which has put their timetable well behind.
How many remember Sir Rog announcing "planes will be flying from Manston by the end of 2016" but then he is wasted as a MP he should be a comedian.

Here is the list of outstanding requirements

1. a rebuttal to the Avia report


In October 2016 the report by AVIA, commissioned at a cost of £50K by TDC, was published. Immediately Riveroak said they would provide a full rebuttal, since then Riveroak has been strangely silent and now the AVIA report has been used to feed into the proposed Local plan which has changed the former airport to a mixed use site.

2. A public consultation
We have had a mickey mouse consultation led by airport supporters which managed to lose any feedback forms from people who think a cargo hub is wrong. But until 7 and 3 are completed there is no chance of a proper consultation.

3. An environment report
A fundamental prerequisite of a Public Consultation is a full Environmental report which should look at the affect on the people living under the flight path of a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project with at least 10000 aircraft movements a year.

4. a DCO application
Needless to say this will be the final hurdle however we are a very long way from getting the application submitted.

5. A S53 application to access the land
On the 19th of December after taking 6 months the Planning Inspectorate have granted access to the site. Needless to say the pro airport supporters are ecstatic however in their normal hectoring style Riveroak decided to apply for 24/7/365 access. In other words they wanted unfettered access to the airport for a year. Now I wonder what would be reasonable access to land you don't own, have no rights to access, and ultimately you want to legally steal from the owners?

SHP made this statement:
“The DCO process requires various surveys to be carried out on the land. As part of that process, Stone Hill Park were approached about allowing access, but were concerned at the scope of the entry to our land that RiverOak sought in pursuing this.

“We felt RiverOak’s effective request for entry to our land 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, went beyond the realm of reasonable requests and sought to ensure that if access was granted, it was under strict conditions.

“We are pleased with the conditions the Planning Inspectorate has placed on this access and as a result we will accept the decision rather than appeal.

“We are satisfied the Planning Inspectorate has performed the process with integrity and to a very high standard and now intend to assist RiverOak in accessing our site to carry out these environmental tests.

“Regardless of this decision, our view remains that an airport on this site is unviable and attempts to obtain the land by way of a Development Consent Order will fail – just as attempts to obtain it through a Compulsory Purchase Order failed.”
When asked what the conditions imposed were they said:
"Hi Barry, they predominantly deal with the times and dates that RO can access the site and what tasks can be carried out. The conditions have been shared with RO and SHP. Hopefully they will also be published on the PI website in due course."

Chris Wells responded as follows
"I have been told that section 53 access to the Manston Airport site has been granted by the Secretary of State, although as yet no formal confirmation has appeared.

"I am not surprised by this news, as the early stages of any pre application DCO process concentrate on the potential capacity of the site, to understand if what is being considered is 'a distinct project of real substance genuinely requiring entry onto the land'.
"The capacity of the potential applicant to undertake the proposed project, and its value to be assessed as a nationally significant infrastructure project, comes later. And even with the best of Christmas spirit in mind, it is within the basics of proving finance and business planning that Riveroak have, to date, been found wanting.
We shall all see how things now develop in the New Year."

Read more at http://www.kentlive.news/stone-hill-park-responds-to-government-order-to-allow-riveroak-access-to-manston-airport/story-30001784-detail/story.html#oICuKPBPYZSzbWm4.99

 
6. A answer to the screenshot question from Robo King.

Bar the fact that the comment is very threatening it is also completely ridiculous. The decision made was to withdraw TDC planning's objections to the "change of use" for 4 buildings on the former airfield. This is hardly surprising as the AVIA report stated quite clearly there is no chance of a viable airport before 2031. Still there will be another opportunity to discuss the applications on the 24th January 2017 with a Public Enquiry.

7. No work with TDC on a "Statement of Community Consultation"

"Before formally consulting people living in the vicinity of the project, the developer will prepare a Statement of Community Consultation (SOCC), having first consulted relevant local authorities about what it should contain. The SOCC details the consultation the developer intends to undertake with the local community about their project. The developer is then required to carry out their consultation with the local community as set out in the SOCC.The developer is required to publish a notice stating where and when the SOCC can be inspected. If you are not satisfied with the developer’s consultation process you should inform the developer about your concerns as soon as possible and give them an opportunity to respond"

 https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Advice-note-8.1v4.pdf

Needless to say despite running an unofficial consultation Riveroak have not been in touch with TDC planning nor indeed KCC planning to formulate their SOCC but then that is hardly surprising given as they took 6 months to gain access to Manston.  

Now there was me thinking they had the most experienced DCO team ever