I am very disappointed that permission to appeal against the Manston Airport scheme has been granted on one ground, which means there will now be a hearing in the Court of Appeal.
In my view as a Thanet MP, we have an unacceptable situation whereby a Judge who is a member of an expert panel set up by the Government to determine planning matters should have decreed that there are no grounds on ‘need’, environmental or any other matters, for appeal against the Secretary of State’s decision to grant a Development Consent Order on Manston Airport, only to have that decision reversed and a right to yet a further appeal granted by another Judge whose expertise is not in planning. That is why the local MP in Manston, Sir Roger Gale, is bringing the legal absurdities of this case to the attention of the Lord Chancellor and he has my unalloyed support in doing so.
This latest development is simply another delaying tactic to frustrate the shared desire of RiverOak Strategic Partners and the Government, together with local supporters, to see Manston return to operational use as an international freight hub and create employment opportunities in Thanet and beyond.