Manston / TDC | rogergale

Manston / TDC

December 3rd 2014

North Thanet's MP Sir Roger Gale has this (Wednesday) afternoon expressed "grave concern" at the manner in which Thanet District Council appears to have sought to pre-empt Cabinet and full council consideration of a report into the future of Manston Airport by issuing a release indicating that TDC will not proceed with a CPO.

"Aside from the gross discourtesy to all of those who have supported the Manston cause" says the MP "there are huge questions that remain unanswered by the Leader and Executive of the Council in respect of their implied criticisms of RiverOak and they will have to be held to account.

Central Government and local MPs have given massive political support to TDC and only on Monday of his week Laura Sandys and I were at 10 Downing Street discussing how, once the CPO process was under way, further assistance to help rescue the airport might be offered.

Riveroak have not only supplied copious and full information to the Council but have - and I have seen the correspondence myself - offered to pay funds into an account to meet the costs of the CPO process.

The whole report must now be put on hold while TDC respond to accusations of distortion of facts and of showing a lack of political courage. This is not over: Laura and I, together with the Leader of the Thanet Opposition Bob Bayford, remain committed to the re- opening of Manston as an airport and with or without the support of Thanet's Labour group or that of the Leader of KCC we will continue to work to achieve, in the national and local interest, what we know that the people of Thanet want"