Friday, April 25, 2014

Terminal Decline

http://www.thanetgazette.co.uk/Guests-confirmed-Manston-Airport-meeting/story-20994579-detail/story.html
Holy airports! With just 24 hours to go until the big 'Save Manston' meeting over on the seedier north side of the island, news that he's a 'confirmed guest' appears to have come as, well, news to Councillor Biggles, the island's self-styled resident expert on all things aviation.

In response to a story in The Gazunder alleging that he'd be attending along with usual suspects Sir Roger Gale MP and Laura Sandys MP, Simes sent this rather sharp tweet back to the hacks: 'I have not confirmed anything other than I am working on Saturday!!'

In all likelihood he'll be up in his teeny-tiny plane, hand on joystick, tugging a banner over Old Trafford. Which seems to be his regular gig these days.

Hey-ho. Support for the 'Save Manston' campaign has hardly set the tarmac on fire. I've seen only one 'Keep Calm and Save Manston' poster displayed on the island (in Westgate, natch!), and the mini-mob in the photo seems to be composed of a few old gippers and some embarrassed children who've been dragged along by their grandparents. Do they really think they're going to fill the Winter Gardens? I expect some of you will tell me tomorrow!

Meanwhile it's been revealed via one of those Freedom of Information thingies that Kent County Council couldn't be arsed to even look at the legals when the current owner, Scottish squillionaire Ann Gloag, bought the place for a quid off Infratil last year. Neither, indeed, did KCC's Tory leader Paul Carter, aka Sir Paul Ruddyfaced-Man. And they're not even bovvered about casting their glass eye over any of Sir Rog's current 'negotiations'. Here's what KCC's FOI response says:

I can confirm that neither Mr Paul Carter, nor any officer of Kent County Council (KCC) holds any information relating to the Heads of Terms or the sale by Infratil of Manston Airport. Also, neither Mr Carter nor any officers of KCC were they shown any Heads of Terms either by the buyer or the seller or any third party. Furthermore, KCC holds no information on how many and which businesses who asked for the closure of the airport were prevented from taking it over and in response to your third question relating to negotiations reported in the media, KCC holds no information that you requested. KCC has not been and is not a party to any of these negotiations.

Which is quite surprising really, given the kerfuffle KCC and Sir PR-M have made about Manston. What with their talk about a new railway station, planes 'flying straight out to sea', 'longest runway in Britain', and the like. Not to mention all the lovely taxpayers' lolly they've lavished on it over the years.

The words 'washing', 'their' and 'hands of it' spring to mind. You do have to wonder whether they were just using the place as a stalking horse to chase off Boris Island, thus keeping their lovely, northwest Kent cottages nice and peaceful at night.

Needless to say, Paul Carter, like Biggles, is not a 'confirmed guest' for tomorrow's meeting. Happy landings!!

225 comments:

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Anonymous said...

The people pushing for a freight solution don't understand the airline business, and they don't understand how busy an airport has to be to break even. Most freight is carried in the bellyhold of passenger flights. There are relatively few freight-only flights and they don't pay top dollar for their landing slots. Even if Manston were able to attract ALL of the UK freight-only business, it wouldn't break even.

I think the key here is to listen carefully to the words which are being used. Gale was on the news commenting on his mystery buyer and saying that they now had to persuade AG to sell at a reasonable price. This is the nub of the matter. What does Gale think is a reasonable price?

AG only paid £1 for the airport, but she took on board several hundred thousands of pounds of debt. Since buying it she has run up a further couple of million in debt (and counting). There will be further costs incurred in shutting it down, including monies that will have to be paid to tenants of the airfield who will no longer be able to run their businesses if the runway is shut. AG clearly has a strategy to make money but even conservative estimates would suggest that she has to recoup four or five million before she's in profit.

So, I would suggest that she isn't going to let it go for anything less than £10 million and probably nearer 20.

Now, you tell me which private individual has this much money lying around to invest in something this risky. I can't believe that anybody wealthy got that way by throwing money at something that has been failing ever since it was transferred into private ownership.

Anonymous said...

If the 150 workers at Manston are go getters then they will have no problems finding work in the area.

www.reed.co.uk has 113 jobs within 5 miles of Ramsgate and widen the area to 15 mile and there are 472.

Anonymous said...

Mr McGale produces yet another financial magic letter out of his Magic Hat. I only wish i could provide one of these for a relatives mortgage offer.

I bet this offer does not have to be scrutinised for how many perms the new prospective purchasers bitch has?

Talking of magic envelopes, given that this is the second one that has been produced, who is being set up here...i suspect the tax payer is?



Anonymous said...

Doubt there are 100 FT jobs 1:36 either now or before. The airport used to close remember when there were few flights.

I'll bet $1 there are no more than 20 Gloag jobs there and many of those PT.

When does the discussion open up to discuss the water supply?

One commentator above refers to removing the monitors and no hours restrictions but that's already happened (although there are no flights now).

Richard Eastcliff said...

Tbh I too am beginning to wonder whether the title of this piece should refer to the current state of blog comments rather than the airport!

Here's a thought. If the 300 who attended the meeting were each prepared to cough up £1000 a month, they could keep the airport going! Now why hasn't Sir Wind proposed that one, eh? Eh?

Anonymous said...

The Russ Timpson chap talks utter bullox. he says Manston is the only aircraft recycling licence/factory in the UK- just Google Cotswold Airport.

And the dumped planes at masnton have hardly been recycled. The twit then says he's in favour of the Parkway thingy.

Anonymous said...

DRIBBLE

Anonymous said...

Thanks 9:47 for the reference to Neville Chamberlin and his worthless letter. Interesting parallel in that Nev flew back into Heston aerodrome. Heston eventually closed because people preferred to use a place called Heathrow.

Anonymous said...

I see the Save Manston dreamers are now trying to undermine the night flights consultation from 2011. Talk about missing the big picture - The airport is on the brink of closure guys and gals. The night flights issue is irrelevant.

Nevertheless, as it clearly irks you so much, allow me to put you straight. The airport doesn't have planning permission. It's legality rests on certificates of lawfulness which only allow the airport operators to continue operating the airport as it was being operated when it was sold. The barrister acting for TDC assured the court that any future change in the scale or nature of use would trigger a planning application. To clarify matters further the barrister provided examples of what might constitute a change in the nature of use and cited the introduction of night flights.

In other words, TDC cannot authorise night-flights from the airport without demanding that the airport operator applies for planning permission for the airport. There are numerous reasons why the airport operator wouldn't want to do this, so your efforts to authorise night flights are futile.

It's not your fault. You just don't know enough about the way things have been done. In essence, TDC's attempts to cut corners and to avoid the planning process are now an insurmountable obstacle.

Anonymous said...

It makes me laugh, people on here saying that Anons have to go back to school and how intelligent they are and in the same sentence arguing that Manston should be saved and what a great man Gale is.
If you cant see that Manston is a failure when profitable company's and multi millionaires cant make it work then we all must be missing a trick please tell us where the company's and millionaires are going wrong so we can fix it.
Also did you see how great Gale was in the meeting preaching to the converted I bet its not the same when sitting with people who understand finance or perhaps he also doesn't understand finance try not to pick up on bad spelling or wrong punctuation if you disagree try to correct me where you think I'm wrong and try not to insult me as your doing it (you know who you are)
PS cant believe there is a collection for a Scottish multi millionaire LOL

Anonymous said...

The world changes a little every day and after a certain age people become set in their ways and hesitant towards new ideas.

The airport has been tried, tested and proven unviable as both a business and an answer to Thanet's financial fortunes.

Ann Gloag, a breath of fresh air, with a proven track record in business has drawn a line under the obvious: there are better opportunities for the Manston site.

Politicians should take this opportunity to remove their blinkers, get on board, and look to influence a brighter future which does not include a commercial airport that goes against everything that Ramsgate was built to be.

Ramsgate has the infrastructure and geographical location to thrive as a tourist destination and compete for the permanent love, attention and investment from some of the countries most entrepreneurial minds.

I live in Ramsgate and since the planes have stopped flying over, I too have been able to enjoy my garden and surrounding area.

Anonymous said...

The world changes a little every day and after a certain age people become set in their ways and hesitant towards new ideas.

The airport has been tried, tested and proven unviable as both a business and an answer to Thanet's financial fortunes.

Ann Gloag, a breath of fresh air, with a proven track record in business has drawn a line under the obvious: there are better opportunities for the Manston site.

Politicians should take this opportunity to remove their blinkers, get on board, and look to influence a brighter future which does not include a commercial airport that goes against everything that Ramsgate was built to be.

Ramsgate has the infrastructure and geographical location to thrive as a tourist destination and compete for the permanent love, attention and investment of some of the countries most entrepreneurial minds.

I live in Ramsgate and since the planes have stopped flying over, I too have been able to enjoy my garden and surrounding area.

Unknown said...

Meanwhile Pfizer seems to be trying to take over Astra-zeneca and seems to be suggesting that the HQ will for the new combined company will be in the UK.

Given that neither Pfizer or Zeneca have much of a presence in the UK any more, one wonders if minions at KCC are buzzing around saying to the parties that there is a nice big space at Discovery Park in Sandwich, that they can build whatever new state-of-the-art facilities they like and that, by the way, there is a nice package of tax breaks if they move in.

:S

Anonymous said...

10:01, are you not forgetting that we have seen your garden on the estate agents (Gibsons) details and it is hardly something one could enjoy. The army might like it though for jungle survival training.

See you are still trying to convince yourself over Manston.

Anonymous said...

After a certain age, 10:01, but surely Ann, your breath of fresh air, is over seventy. That should make her an old duffer in your book.

Unknown said...

Joe, maybe you have hit on Pfizer's cunning plan all along!

Anonymous said...

If Ms. Gloag was so good at business why buy something like an airport with an historic past and then a few months down the line decide to close it. If she was that astute I think she would have left well enough alone. When she found that she was losing money she decided to close it, unaware of the consequences. And as for an individual buying the airport, I am sure Mick Jagger could buy it with his small change, so there are individuals who can afford to buy it, and if they want to keep it as a private airfield then it's up to them, no skin off the taxpayers nose.

Anonymous said...

Who is the mystery buyer? Vote for one of the following:
1) Richard Branson.
2) Michael O'Leary.
3) Bruce Dickinson.
4) John Travolta.
5) Paul Carter.
6) Frank Thorley
7) Terence Painter fronting a consortium registered in the Cayman Islands.
8) Steve Higgins.
9) David Foley.
10) Richard Hilton

Anonymous said...

Do any planes fly into Manston no

Anonymous said...

6:42, you forgot Tim Garbutt on behalf of the Vietnamese ambassador.

Anonymous said...

Part of the LGA report: TDC is your fault:

There is a widespread belief within the council that its poor reputation is a direct result of a hostile local media, historical local attitudes, confrontational bloggers and the conduct of some members. Whist these issues may contribute to reputational problems evidence nationally suggests the single largest contributor to people being unhappy with a council is their personal experience and negative media coverage can reinforce this opinion. Regardless the council must agree a solution to the impact of toxic member behaviour when it arises.

Richard Eastcliff said...

Sadly the previous Chief Exec of TDC used to stand up during senior management meetings at the Winter Gardens and wave my blog around as if it was a one-man improvised anti-council device, so I'm used to that sort of thing.

I'm happy to be described as a 'confrontational blogger' though, so hurrah!

Anonymous said...

Aircraft, including freighters, do still fly in to Manston.. as can be seen by going up there

Anonymous said...

Peter Checkfield. Politicians are supporting those who are shouting loudest at the moment. Manston Savers are putting up a spirited defence, calling done meetings, getting some attendees and some press.
I remember the no night flights group doing the same, and those same politicians were standing in their corner agreeing with the exact opposite of what's being said now. You are obviously naive if you think this is about conviction politics. It's about aligning yourself with the latest fad.

I'm sure that if no night flights had another meeting where 300 of their supporters and press turned up you'd see a line of politicians nodding in agreement.

But no night flights or anti manston supporters won't be holding a meeting. Their argument is won.

Have a good weekend.

Anonymous said...

I think Richard your findings and facts are way out of date as been shown when you was pulled up on your wrong facts nearly 10 times by someone. I sat there and looked at your twitter and laughed, how can someone get it so wrong lol. Your views on Manston look rather silly because you wont research the place and when you do you will see the positives which you dont want to see. Your blog is one hell of a laugh mate especially because it looks like a 5 year old child did it on his daddies laptop.

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