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Manston owners come out fighting over planning tussle

The owners of the former Manston airport have vowed to fight any attempt to relinquish ownership of the site.

It was announced this week that the Planning Inspectorate had agreed to consider the case for re-opening Manston as an airport through a Development Consent Order, which will examine whether the scheme represents a nationally important infrastructure project at a public inquiry.

RiverOak Strategic Partners wants to re-open the airport as a site for freight cargo and has been pressing the case for months.

Manston airport (3624355)
Manston airport (3624355)

Stone Hill Park owners Trevor Cartner and Paul Musgrove have reacted to the news with a defiant statement in which they said had no intention of giving up with its own plans for a mixed development of up to 4,000 houses and businesses which they say would create 2,000 permanent jobs

Trevor Cartner said: “We respect this decision and believe that it provides an opportunity to resolve things once and for all. By advancing to the examination stage, this will not only end uncertainty for us, but also the people of Thanet for whom the Manston issue has dragged on for too long."

Trevor Cartner and Chris Musgrave (3625552)
Trevor Cartner and Chris Musgrave (3625552)

The statement went on: “Stone Hill Park Ltd will contest the DCO application and any subsequent hearing rigorously. We remain convinced that we will win, as the DCO proposition being advanced by RSP just doesn’t stack up."

Mr Cartner said the Planning Inspectorate had noted some omissions and discrepancies in the information provided in the application. "These concern outstanding financial matters, as well as the environmental effects of RSP’s proposed development."

“The quicker the DCO process is dealt with, the sooner we can get on delivering the homes, jobs and leisure facilities that will help to kickstart the economy of Thanet as a whole.”

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