MtM
Manston's been off the MoD slop chit for some years now. In its most recent incarnation it was KIA (not 'killed in action', but Kent International Airport). During the time that I was the CAA aerodrome inspector for this place, it was obvious that it was never going to be a major player in either the passenger or freight market - for one thing, onward lines of communication were somewhat limiting. For potential passengers particularly, why would you pass several other major airports (with the 'London' appellation) to a very limited destination operation in North Kent?
Romantic or nostalgic as it might seem to keep the airport open, the reality is that it costs big bucks to operate and maintain such a facility, hence the previous three owners pulling put (and the reluctance of airline operators to use the place)...they just weren't making any profit.
P6D
There is/was no reason for a C&M programme once the latest owner pulled out - their intention was to maximise the investment (or at least not make a stonking great loss), not to hope for a resurgence in air travel inKent; again these things cost money. And without such a programme I can envisage the creep of vegetation from the tarmac/concrete areas adjacent to the runway onto, into and under the paved operating surfaces. As for the other assets, they would be saleable and have probably been disposed of (major fire engine, new, would cost in the order of £300,000). Don't know what the market for navaids is, but I'm sure that there is one.
As far as 're-licensing' goes, the rules are undergoing change; the CAA would have to issue an EASA certificate, using the criteria in the recently issued EASA ADR Rules (March 2014 - ED decision 2014/13/R). There is a caveat that could exempt KIA from the requirement for an EASA Certificate based on the number of passenger or freight movements, i.e. below the stipulated threshold, no EASA Certificate required, but still might need to conform to a less stringent set of national CAA criteria. But I'm sure that the Transport Select Committee is fully up to speed on all this (or they could get themselves briefed up by the CAA).
In any event, I don't envisage the Govt throwing a vast amount of public money at reopening KIA (aka Manston), when private ventures have been seen to fail, or not be adequate to make a profit.
Just filling in the gaps to paint the big picture.
Mister B