MANSTON -3
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So how is EU policy to blame for Manston's closing? 
Thought that was down to Free market economics??
Thought that was down to Free market economics??
George Osborne appears to agree: "the EU is not working for Britain".
Obviously there are exceptions, but generally the EU prohibits member countries from providing state subsidies to industry and enterprises.
The idea is that firms that get into temporary trouble have to go the wall, tough luck. Again there are exceptions, e.g. the casino banks.
It's all part of the single market, and the inability of member countries to what they see fit and be in charge of their own destiny.
Just a thought about the most famous "lame duck" of them all, Rolls Royce. It went "belly-up" in 1971 and was nationalised/bailed out by the Edward Heath government. We joined the EEC/EC/EU in 1973.
Had it happened in 2001 instead of 1971, there would be no Rolls Royce.
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So how come Prestwick got rescued for £1?
I'm getting confused, so George Osborne would have stepped in and saved Manston if the EU hadn't stopped him?
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So how come Prestwick got rescued for £1?
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So why is it on the thread??
Last edited by Fairdealfrank; 4th Dec 2014 at 01:25.
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.....and there's more per Kentonline
Environment Agency stops breaking of aircraft at former Manston Airport site
Environment Agency stops breaking of aircraft at former Manston Airport site
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Coverage in the Telegraph
City Diary: Dogfight looms over future of Battle of Britain airport - Telegraph
City Diary: Dogfight looms over future of Battle of Britain airport - Telegraph
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Manston Airport purchase plan likely to be dropped by Thanet District Council
BBC News - Manston Airport purchase plan likely to be dropped by Thanet District Council
BBC News - Manston Airport purchase plan likely to be dropped by Thanet District Council
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Have tdc officers even read riveroak’s submisions ?
Save Manston Airport Committee response to RiverOak’s reply to the Thanet District Council Officer’s report.
Recently Thanet District Council released a report by three interim Officers, who recommended not to proceed with a Compulsory Purchase Order for Manston Airport, as no Indemnity Partner has been identified.
RiverOak as the remaining possible Indemnity Partner, reply :
HAVE TDC OFFICERS EVEN READ RIVEROAK’S SUBMISIONS ?
Riveroak explain: TDC describe their proposal “as a "high risk option", this is plainly wrong, it betrays a complete misunderstanding of the draft agreement as well as the CPO process overall. We wonder whether the Council’s officers have even read it – there is no reference to it at all in the Report.”
Riveroak are disappointed in the “CURRENT administration”, “Such is our disappointment at the way we have been treated by the Council’s CURRENT administration…”, SMA certainly share that disappointment!
Riveroak give detailed evidence from government CPO protocol, that the route followed by the TDC officers is incorrect. They have described a process that is inappropriate and wrong in law, and have therefore misdirected the leader of the council Iris Johnston and her cabinet.
The Committee of SMA would expect elected councillors at every level, in Full Council, in the Cabinet and in the Scrutiny Committee, to subject the officers to the most intense interrogation. If they don’t feel confident in doing this themselves with the correct level of expertise they should invite the DCLG (Department of Communities and Local Government) to examine whether the 151 Officer’s Report is up to scratch or does it indeed have these fatal defects as RiverOak are stating.
Full council should seek Advice from Department of Communities of Local Government.
Riveroak say the 151 officer’s report to TDC is “full of inaccuracies and omissions, and MISREPRESENTS our submission to the Council.”.
The committee of SMA have been impressed with this: “We have invested an enormous amount of time and money in developing and promoting a viable business proposition for Manston Airport, We have set up an investment fund specifically for that purpose. We have instructed leading solicitors and surveyors, and two Queen’s Counsel, to advise us. We have begun negotiations to restore commercial cargo services to Manston. We have so far spent some £600,000 in doing all this.”
They have had top notch legal advice and have named who they have received this advice from - unlike TDC. TDC has, to date, refused to release the information relating to who they have received their advice from, even to the Cabinet. SMA ask “Why is this?”
Riveroak quote from a government guidelines on CPO : “A general indication of funding intentions ... will usually suffice to reassure the Secretary of State that there is a reasonable prospect that the scheme will proceed." this implies that the decision on funding would be made by the secretary of state, and it would not be for TDC to throw it out on a financial point.
On the due diligence process, they have supplied all the information and the Officers have completely ignored them.
Riveroak say : “We have asked to see the Council’s legal advice and have suggested that the Council’s advisers speak to our advisers to no avail. We doubt that the Council’s legal advice in reality supports the line that they are now taking. We challenge the Council to produce their legal advice.”
Riveroak : “In the course of formulating our response, with great disappointment we have learned that the Council Labour Group at a meeting on 14th October approved a resolution “that the Labour Group on Thanet Council should oppose all moves to acquire Manston Airport by compulsory purchase, irrespective of whether a suitable indemnity partner could be found”.
SMA ask - Has even one member of the cabinet prejudged this ?
A Committee member comments : “The perfect storm has arrived. I don't think I have ever seen an elected council commit suicide by choice!”
The full Riveroak response :
News - RiverOak Investments Corp
The government's guidelines on CPO which Riveroak quote:
https://www.gov.uk/government/public...rcular-06-2004
Recently Thanet District Council released a report by three interim Officers, who recommended not to proceed with a Compulsory Purchase Order for Manston Airport, as no Indemnity Partner has been identified.
RiverOak as the remaining possible Indemnity Partner, reply :
HAVE TDC OFFICERS EVEN READ RIVEROAK’S SUBMISIONS ?
Riveroak explain: TDC describe their proposal “as a "high risk option", this is plainly wrong, it betrays a complete misunderstanding of the draft agreement as well as the CPO process overall. We wonder whether the Council’s officers have even read it – there is no reference to it at all in the Report.”
Riveroak are disappointed in the “CURRENT administration”, “Such is our disappointment at the way we have been treated by the Council’s CURRENT administration…”, SMA certainly share that disappointment!
Riveroak give detailed evidence from government CPO protocol, that the route followed by the TDC officers is incorrect. They have described a process that is inappropriate and wrong in law, and have therefore misdirected the leader of the council Iris Johnston and her cabinet.
The Committee of SMA would expect elected councillors at every level, in Full Council, in the Cabinet and in the Scrutiny Committee, to subject the officers to the most intense interrogation. If they don’t feel confident in doing this themselves with the correct level of expertise they should invite the DCLG (Department of Communities and Local Government) to examine whether the 151 Officer’s Report is up to scratch or does it indeed have these fatal defects as RiverOak are stating.
Full council should seek Advice from Department of Communities of Local Government.
Riveroak say the 151 officer’s report to TDC is “full of inaccuracies and omissions, and MISREPRESENTS our submission to the Council.”.
The committee of SMA have been impressed with this: “We have invested an enormous amount of time and money in developing and promoting a viable business proposition for Manston Airport, We have set up an investment fund specifically for that purpose. We have instructed leading solicitors and surveyors, and two Queen’s Counsel, to advise us. We have begun negotiations to restore commercial cargo services to Manston. We have so far spent some £600,000 in doing all this.”
They have had top notch legal advice and have named who they have received this advice from - unlike TDC. TDC has, to date, refused to release the information relating to who they have received their advice from, even to the Cabinet. SMA ask “Why is this?”
Riveroak quote from a government guidelines on CPO : “A general indication of funding intentions ... will usually suffice to reassure the Secretary of State that there is a reasonable prospect that the scheme will proceed." this implies that the decision on funding would be made by the secretary of state, and it would not be for TDC to throw it out on a financial point.
On the due diligence process, they have supplied all the information and the Officers have completely ignored them.
Riveroak say : “We have asked to see the Council’s legal advice and have suggested that the Council’s advisers speak to our advisers to no avail. We doubt that the Council’s legal advice in reality supports the line that they are now taking. We challenge the Council to produce their legal advice.”
Riveroak : “In the course of formulating our response, with great disappointment we have learned that the Council Labour Group at a meeting on 14th October approved a resolution “that the Labour Group on Thanet Council should oppose all moves to acquire Manston Airport by compulsory purchase, irrespective of whether a suitable indemnity partner could be found”.
SMA ask - Has even one member of the cabinet prejudged this ?
A Committee member comments : “The perfect storm has arrived. I don't think I have ever seen an elected council commit suicide by choice!”
The full Riveroak response :
News - RiverOak Investments Corp
The government's guidelines on CPO which Riveroak quote:
https://www.gov.uk/government/public...rcular-06-2004
Last edited by DrBeauWebber; 8th Dec 2014 at 01:34.
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Well I'm sure a property developer with absolutely no vested interest at all is the person to listen to with respect to whether or not their proposals put the public purse at risk!
The whole matter is nothing but a minefield that could blow up spectacularly, and the current owners of the land would do everything possible to make it do so.
I'm sure the council would accept an indemnity policy from a proper insurer, and I'm certain no insurer in their right mind would write such a policy.
The whole matter is nothing but a minefield that could blow up spectacularly, and the current owners of the land would do everything possible to make it do so.
I'm sure the council would accept an indemnity policy from a proper insurer, and I'm certain no insurer in their right mind would write such a policy.
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Manston runway vs Gatwick 1 runway :
Here are same-scale Google Earth images of Manston (top) and Gatwick 1 (bottom) runways.
For Gatwick the usable length of its main runway (08R/26L) is 11,178 ft (3,407 m) when aircraft take off in a westerly
direction, and 10,863 ft (3,311 m) when takeoffs occur in an easterly direction.
Manston is double ended 9,016ft (2,748 m), and there is no difference.
Here are same-scale Google Earth images of Manston (top) and Gatwick 1 (bottom) runways.
For Gatwick the usable length of its main runway (08R/26L) is 11,178 ft (3,407 m) when aircraft take off in a westerly
direction, and 10,863 ft (3,311 m) when takeoffs occur in an easterly direction.
Manston is double ended 9,016ft (2,748 m), and there is no difference.
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Manston could still have a future as an airport - according to a planning masterplan Thanet council has published.
While the council recently decided against an attempt to compulsory purchase the site, a new report appears to keep the door open to the prospect of it being revived as an airport.
The council has published a 15-year strategic blueprint for the area, setting out key policies on issues such as housing development, economic regeneration and the environment.
Thanet council says that Manston could still be an airport as it unveils draft local plan
While the council recently decided against an attempt to compulsory purchase the site, a new report appears to keep the door open to the prospect of it being revived as an airport.
The council has published a 15-year strategic blueprint for the area, setting out key policies on issues such as housing development, economic regeneration and the environment.
Thanet council says that Manston could still be an airport as it unveils draft local plan
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Important day today
The future of Manston Airport will be under the spotlight at Westminster today when MPs take evidence from both its new owners and those who want it to be kept open.
Future of Manston Airport in Ramsgate to be discussed at Westminster today
Future of Manston Airport in Ramsgate to be discussed at Westminster today
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Probably inevitable:
BBC News - Manston loses search and rescue service
BBC News - Manston loses search and rescue service
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Manston just doesn't have the catchment area to succeed - the nearest town of any size is Maidstone and that is almost as close to LGW as Manston
The area around Manston isn't exactly booming economically and so you aren't going to get the business traffic
Cargo?? Only if you pay them to come..........
When airports such as Leeds are suffering you can see you need a lot of punters to be attractive
The area around Manston isn't exactly booming economically and so you aren't going to get the business traffic
Cargo?? Only if you pay them to come..........
When airports such as Leeds are suffering you can see you need a lot of punters to be attractive
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Back in the news
"The former owner of Manston Airport has been told by MPs to put her deal with the new owners into the public domain to counter claims of asset stripping."
BBC News - Manston Airport: Ann Gloag told to reveal sale details
BBC News - Manston Airport: Ann Gloag told to reveal sale details