Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Mannston News

Well, there I was, all ready to bring you another of my regular round-ups of news nibbles concerning Ann Gloag, the millionaire owner of RAF London Kent Manston Margate Tracey Emin Chas 'n' Dave Maggie Thatcher Schipol Skyport Poundland International Airport...

But now we hear the airport is CLOSING! The curse of ECR strikes again!!!!!

To be honest, from what I've monitored of Ms Gloag over the past few months, she seems much more interested in property development than running an airport. Perhaps the picture above will give her an idea of how to move forward. Although, if you ask me, a 4,000 home sink estate is more likely to be on the cards!

Click here to read about Manston closure.
Click here to read my previous jottings about RAFLKMMTEC'N'DMTSSPI Airport.

94 comments:

Anonymous said...

So at a stroke ECR, your east cliff top £1 million pound mansion could now be worth £2 millions.
Bring on the mansion tax in todays budget.

Anonymous said...

Excellent news: good riddance to Buchanan and the pollution and let's hope arrests are made.

Not sure why they claim 150 staff unless they're counting the little old ladies in the Spitfire museum.

What a farce TDC and KCC created.

Richard Eastcliff said...

Well no-one likes to hear of job losses, but tbh the airport has been running on a wing and a prayer, if you'll forgive the pun, for decades.

Perhaps now that Ramsgate has (almost) got rid of the SFP/Pleasurama blight on the front, and the blight of knackered old jumbos going over every ten minutes, it will be able to realise its full potential as a glorious seaside destination!

Anonymous said...

Oh dear where's Simon going to park his Tiger Moth?

Anonymous said...


Why hasn't Pleasurama been cleared yet? Like Manston that's finished too.

Anonymous said...

That idiot Gale will no doubt tell us that this represents a golden opportunity for Manston. Both he and Moores are finished - at least Sandys resigned.

Anonymous said...

Any talk of a rescue package would have to be a bunch of sh1te, surely? Gloag WAS the rescue package. Oh, no, sorry, Infratil was the rescue package. Er, no, actually, wasn't PlaneStation supposed to be the rescue package?

PMSL.

Anonymous said...

Yes it is a worry that Simon will lose his aeroplane base.

Did anyone caution him that might happen ?

Clive Hart looks as if he is sipping vinegar off a fork.

Hammy must be champing at the bit wanting to blame the Nimbys and Usual Suspects.

Perhaps the oil refinery plan of the 70s will resurrect ? Watch out for surveys off Pegwell Bay.

Anonymous said...

No hoverport, no port, no airport. Ramsgate is finished.

Anonymous said...

Simon keeps his aeroplane at Maypole, you fools.

Anonymous said...

Why don't you buy the airport RIchard, bring some business to thanet! You know we need it

Anonymous said...

At last a tough business person has taken the decision that should have been taken decades ago. Unlike the public sector Duffers at TDC who have blighted Ramsgate's seafront for nearly twenty years with their hand wringing and brown envelopes, for example. Now we need proper business brains to apply themselves to the port. Extend the marina, develop it, do something that's not stuck in the 19th century, that sort of thing.

Anonymous said...

Well said 1:34! Let's also have a 21st century housing estate built on the airport with modern skyscrapers.

Anonymous said...

I disagree 1.27. Ramsgate has been blighted by TDC's useless 'vision' of it being merely a port for planes to fly over for years. Now we have a chance to bring it into the 21st century. It obviously has more potential than Margate to be a place for living by the sea. Margate is an artificial construct, buoyed up by public money, whose purpose disappeared decades ago. Ramsgate is the future of Thanet.

Anonymous said...

My preference would be for an onshore windfarm at the Manston site, 1.39. But if it has to be housing and skyscrapers, why not?

Peter C said...

Hopefully they'll return it all to farmland as it was prior to 1916, though I somehow doubt it.

Anonymous said...

Pilot error

I worry about that Simes at times.

Now the poor sod has had his airfield torn out from under him.

Police have been unkind to him at the sole behest of the PCC (Not Portsmouth City Council, smile though they may, but Police and Crime Commissioner Ann Barnes)

I say Simes for PCC next election.



Anonymous said...

ECR Your comment of 12.39 is spot on the money.

See this as an opportunity.

Anonymous said...

Well said 1:34 and 1:39. The Duffers have wasted years and millions of pounds of council tax. Even the Duffers would agree.

Thanet has collapsed.

We need a clearout at TDC and RTC they're just useless. Only Macgonigal gains by clinging on each month.

The sea windfarm is not being extended (and it's one of the largest in UK)) so a land windfarm is unlikely.

Anonymous said...

Anon 1.28, who is the fool? Maypole airstrip is already up for sale.

Anonymous said...

Not me 2:35, I'm buying it!!

Anonymous said...

It does indeed employ 150 staff.. and all can be seen leaving the airport at 11pm precisely every night :-).. you plonker!

Anonymous said...

Bet this has made Tim so happy he can leave his medication for the day!

Anonymous said...

Don't worry, Laura will save it. http://www.thanetgazette.co.uk/MP-s-shock-Manston-airport-announcement/story-20829020-detail/story.html

Rob in Bath, Avon said...

Born and bred in Thanet had to leave to find work so my family could have a life not on benefits, still most of my relatives are still living local including my mum.

absolutely dismays me when I see the the corruption and nimby attitudes of little people that are destroying a place I love dearly. When I see how a small number of people are destroying a place I still think of as home I feel glad that my children don't think of it as home (sad to feel that way).

I hope the Airport flourishes and you people that are standing in the way of progress need to remember it was a flight path before your bungalows were even built and yes when I last time I lived up there I did live on the flight path and it's not that bad. I wonder how many of you are thinking of the profit from when you bought your "flight path home" at a reduced price to when you sell it if you manage to destroy one of thanets last hopes of employment.

Anonymous said...

This is the best possible news for Ramsgate. The airport was always going to choke it's future. Ramsgate will generate far more jobs than those lost at the airport by realising it's potential as a glorious seaside destination. Come on Ramsgate!

Anonymous said...

3:10 it did employ 150 people supposedly but the figures were Infratil nonsense. And they only claimed 120 for the night flight expansion and that included the old lady volunteers. Desperate scraping of the barrel even then.

How did TDC fall for it?

Doubt there's more than a two dozen jobs, not that it matters now.

Anonymous said...

Excellent news that Manston has closed. A better future indeed.

Worth remembering that Carter and Hart met with Gloag in November and claimed a bright future then as did Gale. And Latchford too?

Anonymous said...

er.. it hasn't closed .. and I assure you it won't.. ;-)

Anonymous said...

Some of us happen to like old ladies! What's your preferance then, young boys?

Anonymous said...

good news for the airport to come, bad news for Tim and those that like a peaceful night though

Anonymous said...

All but the resident idiot down South Eastern Road will lament the passing of something that could, and should, have brought much needed prosperity to Thanet. A sprawling housing development will do nothing for jobs in the long term and will devastate local property prices in the short.

As for old crocodile tears Hart, surely it was his party's inflexibility on out of hours flights that drove Infratil away. Gloag is just a canny old Scot who spotted a chance to turn a quick buck. On the other hand, Manston could become one of the new Scottish Air Force overseas bases.

Anonymous said...

So many years wasted by TDC flogging the Manston dead horse.



Anonymous said...

Thank god Manston is to close before the money-wasting public sector subsidized a parkway railway station, rather than afterwards as happened with the port access road and tunnel that is now an expensive and redundant white elephant.

Anonymous said...

Plough it up and start a cannabis farm or leave the runway to park Driver's bandwagons on..!

Anonymous said...

Has Gloag paid the relevant fines for overlfights etc in the last 3 monthhs?

Anonymous said...

Driver is full of BS suddenly claiming he knew all along blah blah blah. He's never mentioned Manston. The worst kind of empty prattle.

Anonymous said...

Looks like the writing was on the wall when the Manston air show was cancelled just 6 weeks after the new owners took over. To me it looks like they were making a punt on property development. Even if they only built 500 houses they could easily make profits of £30 millions plus. Not bad for a £1 (plus 4 months losses).


Anonymous said...

Who are the barmpots on here saying the airport still has a future? It's gone, it's dead, it's buried. Get over it. Move on. Thanet has a future and it's a lot brighter without the airport.

Anonymous said...

Hear, hear 5:52 pm

Anonymous said...

Clive and Sue weren't relying only on Manston were they in the last 3 months? They have been developing activity to replace the airport and the port and dreamland and Pleasurama....?

Six figure local government salaries and re-election don't really stack up by destroying the area do they?

Are we really paying for a £5K CEO car allowance for this stupidity?

Anonymous said...

Let's hope Kent Police are all over the airport from tonight as the last thing we need is more illegal flights or a crash now...

Anonymous said...

yeah manston airport is going have had a smile on my face since i found out im sorry for the loss of jobs but a small price to pay
there will be so many investors in ramsgate now i cant wait i have said for a long time now that the only thing holding ramsgate back has been the airport so very good news for me as a person very interested in the future regeneration of this fantastic town
no more threat of night flights no more expansion threat yeah to everybody thats happy to also hear

Anonymous said...

Margate is getting a Town Council too so the Margate Duffers will stay in Margate and not screw up the other towns.

Anonymous said...

Hilarious, thankfully ECR's blog has more in common with a copy of Viz than factual news.

Anything could happen in the next 45 days.

For those that want it turned into a housing estate... what? Oh why would you want all that pollution sat on top of the beloved aquifer? You think the chance of an aircraft spilling fuel is bad, just wait till all those lovely homeowners are pouring chemicals into the ground!

For those that are querying the number of staff at the airport I'd recommend actually driving up there and having a look, to help work out who does work there take a large banner that says something like "SO HAPPY YOU HAVE LOST YOUR JOB", I'm sure staff will find a way to let you know how they feel, and you can count them at the same time.

I'm off to TDC tomorrow with my petition to see if we can finally rid ourselves of the Port of Ramsgate, I have no idea why my taxes pay for a pointless harbour that consistenly looses money and simply acts as a boat park for people with more money than sense!

Anonymous said...

Whilst there will always be those out there that will rub their hands together and pat each other on the back saying we won the sad fact remains that people will be laid off and worry about this.
The fact is the airport and various owners have tried and failed so let's leave it at that and let it close in an orderly fashion without gloating! I am sure once it has gone there will be something else to have a go at.
No one has in fact won but certainly some people have lost including the staff, shareholders, tax payers and those that like their sleep.
Best of luck to those who will be job hunting.

Anonymous said...

I remember being foreman on a contract on a steelworks. One of the sparkies was laughing one day. The night before he had been drinking at a WMC. Bloke next to him crying in his beer.

Man had been made redundant after 25 years with same employer

Contracting Sparkie said to him "Cheer up matye I was sacked twelve times last year".

Grow a pair Manston employees we are all Thatcherites now. Stop being co-dependant weaklings and get out self employed. It is only a job. If you frightened of losing it you frightened of life.

Anonymous said...

Plus there'll be loads of construction work needing contractors. Could be good for the local economy.

Anonymous said...

I see that this sad Manston news has sent the anon into orgasmic schadenfreude.

Anonymous said...

What is so frustrating about reality is that it always starts out as a rumour.

Except for the dogshit. That, unfortunately, is an absolute.

A Japanese student group leader wrote that although the visitors loved the town and environs, they would never return, because of the dogshit.

That was 10 years ago.

Anonymous said...

It's quite telling that the first person to run the airport outright, bought with their own funds, puts up with the losses for 5 monte before pulling the plug.

Anonymous said...

I think it's quite telling that the first person to own the airport outright, bought with their own funds puts up with the losses for. 5 months before pulling the plug.

Anonymous said...

Whatever will some people find to whinge about if Manston does close? No more low flying aircraft, no pollution, no cancer, no airport officials or pilot's to arrest and no illegal night flights. Perhaps they will shut up at last and give the rest of us a break, but don't hold your breath on it.

Anonymous said...

You fools, can't you see what this is really about? It is just scaremongering so that TDC are pressured into allowing unrestricted night flights!

Anonymous said...

Good thinking, 9:58 for you seem to have hit the nail on the head. Rumour has it that poor old Clive is already panicking at taking the blame for the proposed closure and is prepared to do anything to save the day. Big union pressure in there too I hear. Don't remove your triple glazing yet, eh?

Anonymous said...

ECR has more chance of being crowned King of Thanet than Manston does of being here end of May.

Anonymous said...

Build more houses and still have
low wages retail and care home
no major skilled work in the
area good wages THANET IS THE
ASSHOLE OF KENT

Anonymous said...

And there are a few turds stuck in it 12:01.

Anonymous said...

luck iam not living there I live on the boarder away from the chavs
so its still THE ASSHOLE OF KENT

Anonymous said...

So you've popped out of the 'asshole of Kent', as it were?

Anonymous said...

This proves just how popular the airport is! https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-manston-airport?

Anonymous said...

So ok let's close the airport , we closed the pleasurama, then the motor musem, the lifts , model village, ferry service, Hoover port. So what make Ramsgate thrive it must be the new houses that can be built by cheap foreign labour, then what no more jobs! New schools will be needed, so yeah education Jo'bs will be there , that's all that there is in thanet white collar, education and NHs jobs, shops , Leave the airport alone and bring some culture to thanet, The government should be helping out this stunning place with its beautiful sunsets and sky's,

Anonymous said...

Unrestricted night flights is the answer! http://www.thanetgazette.co.uk/Manston-latest-Night-flight-ban-airport-death/story-20833290-detail/story.html

Still Even More Bemused Of Birchington said...

If the Airport is to close then build industrial units not houses. 500 houses will have 500 people needing jobs, where? Keep a smaller airfield so that these industrial units can send their products world wide with a minimum of road transport. When the units are up and running then build houses.

Anonymous said...

Building industrial units is easy; persuading businesses to relocate to Thanet to use them is more difficult.

Anonymous said...

I haven't been able to do a thing with my carpet since the Hoover port closed.

Anonymous said...

Before we all get carried away, there was a caveat that came up a few years ago that possibly came from the MOD. It was along the line that the runway and certain ancillary services must remain and be maintained. If this is true, then it puts a dent in any housing plans. I'd prefer to see a massive solar farm up there ( especially if it can be put on the runway, mod excepting of course). It could generate income while a long term future is properly planed. That said, this place has a fantastic way of fouling up thanks the disgraceful leaders of TDC plc and political. And where the heck was the leader of the council in last nights BBC story. Bayford appears, but not a single labour spokesperson. Thats disgraceful and shows what they really thought of Manston..

Still Even More Bemused Of Birchington said...

Manston was the most bombed airfield in WW11. What are the chances of plenty of unexploded bombs under the grass?

Anonymous said...

MOD. Should relocate here, It's an Ideal place, it would also be an excellent opportunity for the young youth of Ramsgate to have some incentive to be responsible and get some training with discipline and a future,Manston RAF again!

Anonymous said...

Labour, Labour, where fore art thou? Clive and co should be ashamed, no appearance on tv. As leader you should have been prominent over this huge story, thats what your paid for. Even if you are not here you should have at least put up the poodle Poole or the jack Russell Johnstone. But this no show disgusts me and has steered my vote elsewhere!

Anonymous said...

i do hope that KCC and TDC and the useless MP's tell us who the other bidders were since the inception of the Airport as a civil one. Perhaps Laura you can enlighten us who else was turned down and perhaps the North Thanet MP can also tell us?

Anonymous said...

Since 1999, the airport has been blighting Ramsgate and providing precious little by way of employment. Those who have backed it throughout, as the best way of solving Thanet's economic problems, should now resign and ponder on their folly. Almost anything else which had been done up there would have benefited Thanet more than this 15 year farce.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 4:32 - there is no such covenant and never was. This was just one of many lies put about by airport supporters to try to convince people that the airport would not close irrespective of economic reality.

Anonymous said...

CLIVE & Co are the main culprits for this humungus mess the say we surport the airport but you can only fly when we say not when you need to other wise we lose our nice little earner for doing nowt
but sit around slaging each other they will be door knocking soon saying to the nibbys see we did what you ask now please return us in may as our reward for putting your neighbour on the dole

Anonymous said...

So do you think that there is a chance that after running the service to Amsterdam for exactly a year, that due to low passenger numbers KLM were going to pull out?

Anonymous said...

where does this leave the new air sea rescue contract or would this still be able to operate from fire school side or would this also close down more loss of income and jobs?

Anonymous said...

Agree with 7:33 Manston has been a disaster for years and Gale and Clive and Bob need to carry the can for failing to make it happen - or as we will see failing to have any other proposals for the site.

Anonymous said...

8:56 you are 7:33 and there is just one of you. Meantime the petition to save Manston is adding dozens of signatures, already well over 3,000, as we exchange nonsense here.

Whatever our personal views, other interests will prevail.

Anonymous said...

I am not 7:33 in any way and rather resent your ridiculous suggestion that I am. And find the the Why Not Manston petition laughable when the chap lives in Folkestone. And if only half the 3,000 had actually flown from Manston it may have been viable - if there had been anything more than cargo and nightflights then the site might not keep going bust?! 7:33 is right that this 15 year farce has at last ended apart from rather foolish views like yours and Gale wittering on about Manston now a great opportunity. Farcical. And if only TDC had ensured the site would be cleared by Infratil or Gloag rather than the taxpayer eh?

Anonymous said...

Here here!

Anonymous said...

TOTAL CUNTS

Anonymous said...

I do find peoples response to this really funny... How a little tiny airfield that operated more single engined propeller aircraft daily than jet engined aircraft has managed to "Blight" Ramsgate is simply beyond most peoples comprehension.

I suppose those that live in Ramsgate are happier with TDC planning on spending over £7 million pound on the Port of Ramsgate? I wonder what they'll think when nobody, other than dodgy firms taking half dead sheep to Ostende, turns up to use the Quay or if they do what they'll think about all the EU plated artic's tearing up the roads and parked illegally?

Anonymous said...

Not me, I think the port should close too.

I think you meant 'TOTAL C*NTS' there 11.31 there is a strict policy on abuse on this blog. Don't let the landlord catch you or he'll bar you.

Anonymous said...

Q: How do you tell when a plane full of Manston workers has landed?

A: The whining doesn't stop when the engines are turned off, the lights have been turned off, and the airport's been shut because it hasn't made a profit in two decades.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone remeber the gazette headline a few years ago?

10,000 JOBS TO BE CREATED AT MANSTON

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Not laughing at the jobs going just pointing out the sh1t that passes for journalism round here they believe any dickhead

Anonymous said...

could it be that the new owners are trying to force the powers that be to give them all they ask for ie train station ,coach station huge subsidy towards running costs overspill stateus etc or simply say we will shut up shop if you dont dance to our tune?

Anonymous said...

relocate ramsgate f.c. to the north side with huge indoor sports hall swimming pool olimpic standard outside track & feild area build on southwood air port stays open with its new station etc

Anonymous said...

Any idea that Gloag is doing this to force TDC's hand is wishful thinking being spread by desperate Manstoners or caused by sheer disbelief by anti-Manstoners. 45 days is the statutory consultation period for redundancy, and now we hear the airport could be closed to traffic from as early as 9 April. No business person in their right mind would put any of this in place unless they were serious, the affect on their business would be irreversible.

Gloag clearly wanted 700 hectares of prime land in south east England for a pound, and by all accounts she is a woman who gets what she wants.

Anonymous said...

9:27 you seem obsessed that TDC have some power in this matter - they DON'T. It is already way over their heads with KCC, MPs and the minister involved to save Manston.

Don't dispute the airport might close, but do not make the mistake of taking it for granted. There will be a lot of strings pulled in high places to save it and your opinion, at the end of the day, will count for nothing.

Anonymous said...

Yeah right. Like Roger Gale is well connected. The man is a joke at Westminster. As for Laura, she's leaving, so no-one will take a blind bit of notice of her.

And if Paul Carter loves the airport so much, why doesn't he pay to have it shipped to west Kent, where it would probably do all right. Oh, no, wait, he wouldn't want night flights over HIS house, would he?

Anonymous said...

The fire school at RAF Manston has a long term future given that several million pounds is currently being spent on their training area. Building a huge housing estate close by would be madness due to the regular smoke emissions.

Anonymous said...

You're living in the past there, it stopped being 'RAF Manston' 15 years ago.

Anonymous said...

For the record, the MOD Fire School is located in the old domestic area of what was RAF Manston and still regarded as such by many. It is under RAF command and has RAF personnel stationed there. The airfield was given up by the RAF in 1999, not the area and buildings confined within the Fire School boundary or, on the airfield itself, that building and area housing the MT repair facility.

Richard Eastcliff said...

That's cleared that up then.