Friday, February 13, 2009

Reason prevails over Manston


Before you read these comments they are my impressions and recollections of last nights 106 Manston meeting, they are of course not meant to be a verbatim report just a slanted view and my memory may not be that reliable.

The overwhelming impression that I got from tonight's meeting over Manston, were of a council united in the interests of Thanet’s majority, which of course has been predominately silent in contrast to the minority plane crazy environmental lobby.

Maybe it's a symptom of this country's dire economic woes, but both Labour and Tory councillors were in the main unified in the soul purpose of assisting Infratil as much as is reasonably possible, to help them gain new business for Manston, and us the workforce of Thanet to get a chance of future prosperity.

It's possible we witnessed the birth of a new political party, namely the Greens that being Cllr. David Green and Cllr Elizabeth Green, who despite being reluctantly in favour of endorsing Infratil's request to adjust slightly the operational hours of the Airport, wished to make a few changes. Which fortunately for all, were overwhelmingly rejected.

The meeting itself, was full of the usual incomprehensible detail, jargon, codswallop and bull, we were treated to the following "late evening" meaning late night, "shoulders" I think being the last and first half hour of the day, aircraft being QC4 or better, god knows what that meant but for some reason nobody dared show their ignorance and ask, still maybe they knew.

The only evidence of labour having a pop at the conservatives, were a couple of comments berating the conservative administration for not coming up with a night-time policy, its just a pity the Tory Group didn't throw this back at the Labour group and ask them to come up with a blimin night-time policy.

On balance the conservative group put up the best performance (maybe I'm just get older) their team had all the skills, their councillors had gone to the trouble of asking their constituents what they thought, most on Nethercourt were in favour according to Councillor Jill Kirby who had taken the trouble to enquire, Bill Hayton mentioned aircraft noise lasted about 9 seconds a small inconvenience if it helps provide jobs and of course Simon Moores was able to talk with some confidence about prevailing winds, 4 minutes standard separation for 747'S, to be honest labour never stood a chance.

Labour had their moments, but with the Green's, having their own amendments, and Councillor Nottingham tapping away on some electronic device (probably writing his next blog) they weren't really a team tonight although cllr Mike Harrison made some good points as did Councillor Clive Hart who confined himself to just one speech .

I think this was a rare example of your elected representative doing the best for the local community even if it doesn't suit everyone particularly the bloggerati and activists who like to think that they speak for all, which they don't, the silent majority are just too damn polite to challenge them.

Thanet's councillors have done the right thing, shown how democracy should operate, a credit to the community showing why we have elected representatives and not a mob or a rabble or even smart *rse bloggers.

Thank you

14 comments:

  1. Thanks for this Tony, & I agree 100% about sense prevailing for once. There's no doubt in my mind that this is for the benefit of Thanet overall.

    ReplyDelete
  2. We would all liked to have had the benefit of a longer period of consultation but the sudden commercial imperative didn't give us that opportunity. This said, I believe that the majority will welcome the potential arrival of BA and the branding that it carries with it as a step forward for Thanet. It delivers a ray of hope for the future at a difficult time.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I note that you're happy enough to use the services of 'smart-a*se bloggers' when it suits you.

    This decision is a disaster for Ramsgate.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Eastcliff since you, were not at the council meeting, you are blissfully unaware of the reality of the situation, apart from I think four against and I think even the green party are in favour.

    It is the fact that most in Thanet including 80% in sample of 300 odd around Nethercourt were in support.

    Its strikes me that you are hardly in a position to talk, since your carbon footprint is hardly minuscule much of your work takes you up to the smoke, I understand that flying is not an unfamiliar form of travel.

    Your so cynical as to not accept that most even in Ramsgate are willing to put up with the minor inconvenience rather than place barriers to prosperity

    I think its fair to say that you are able to do much work from home not so for those of us lower down the food chain.

    As you know when its on offer I work long hours and during a recent four month period spent 6 or 7 days a week working 10 hours a day( not with a blimin Keyboard & phone) in heavy manual work and traveling 4-5 hours a day to get to work.

    Just what service your referring to maybe you could detail.

    Since I happen myself to be a blogger.

    The decision is a "disaster" maybe you could do with a sense of proportion.

    sorry for the rather detailed reply maybe I could buy you a beer sometime soon!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sorry Eastcliff I was not suggesting that you were a smart arse blogger but now you er.......

    Have a nice day!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I would like to congratulate Big news Margate for an honest appraisal of last nights event, it is so typical of protesters that they do not like the truth, yes Cllr Nottingham constantly on his telephone I thought was totally unacceptable behaviour and sitting in the public gallery it showed to me how little interest, he was taking,and gave a bad impression, I agree that Cllr harrison gave what was a very refreshing and honest account of his work, and yes the Conservative Group were clearly at their best, however the vote clearly shows cross party support for Thanet, regeneration, jobs and our economy, S.M.E.G and the usual protesters obviously do not.

    ReplyDelete
  7. 12:38 well said I must agree, thanks everyone involved on the council.Don

    ReplyDelete
  8. Let's wait and see then.

    You bigged the decision up no doubt I should be able to visit your blog to read steady reports of the benefits accruing to Thanet from this decision.

    Any news on the immediate commercial imperative front ? Quality operators and investors seeking to exploit the immediacy of the TDC decision ?

    No news yet ? Oh well ...

    Prestwick redundancies ?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Tony and Anon 12.38 I explained at the meeting I was doing an almost live blog which was posted as soon as the meeting finished. Here it is
    http://marknottingham.blogspot.com/2009/02/manston-airport-expansion-goes-ahead.html

    The Council should broadcast meetings like these over the internet, but refuse to do so. Many other councils do. An area TDC needs to improve. In the interim I will provide this service wherever appropriate.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Councillor Nottingham,
    You are clearly a professional politician in the same vane as the ghastly Harman, Blair, Balls, Brown, and the brothers Grim. These only had jobs in politics after leaving uni, so what did they know?
    I am sure you will forget Thanet as soon as you are moved up the political food chain; but until then I think you are doing a bloody good job...... for a politican that is!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Tony, you have not really addressed this issue of promised jobs in regard to why TDC has rushed this whole process. Infratil's job projections were the stuff of fiction as have been those of Thanet Earth and CGP in terms of ChinaGate. TDC has so far effectively given consent, without real consideration of the environmental consequences of their decisions for the nebulous promise of 4,300 jobs 'promised' from these three projects. I was utterly unaware that we had that many unemployed locally? When are we going to see a realistic approach to development on This Isle of ours that is carefully comtrolled and co-ordinated in a sensible and sustainable way? TDC is beginning to resemble a 'Clocktower Tart' who is prepared to drop her knickers for a 'fiver' for a 'quickie' in the way it rushes through applications when some-one offers the tantalising but unsubstantiated offer of 'jobs'.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anon 10.39 why thank you kind anon. You clearly haven't had the pleasure of meeting my gorgeous wife who has lived in Thanet all her life. She's going nowhere, so I plan to be around for long enough for you to revise your opinion and be thoroughly fed up with me!

    ReplyDelete
  13. So just how many jobs are you expecting, and do you yorself live under the flightpath? I do, you see, and 11 extra flights will do vey little for Thanets unemployment figures but will have a very impressive impact on ramsgatonian sleeping patterns. For the good of Thanet indeed...

    ReplyDelete
  14. Can someone remind me when and where the public Consultation was over this?

    ReplyDelete