KCC agree motion to support regeneration of Airport site

July 16, 2015July 17, 2015 Oscar Maynard

At today’s Kent County Council meeting Roger Latchford, UKIP Leader, put forward a motion regarding Manston Airport watched by supporters in the public gallery. It called for KCC to back the reinstatement of Manston Airport.

Although a couple of County Councillors spoke for the motion, other Conservative Councillors and Labour’s Will Scobie tore the wording of the motion apart, saying that they were being asked to vote on something they did not have full knowledge of.

Conservative Mark Dance then proposed an amendment to the motion which read:

“We the elected members of KCC wish it to be known that we fully support the continued regeneration of Manston and East Kent and will keep an open mind on whether that should be a business park or an airport depending on the viability of such plans and their ability to deliver significant economic growth and job opportunity.”

Several other Conservative Councillors spoke regretfully about the airport’s past track record and said that they could not support Latchford’s original motion but would support this amendment. Roger Latchford made some scathing remarks in his closing statement but it was Cllr Dance’s amended motion that was passed by a vast majority. Of course it doesn’t really matter what KCC think, it’s all down to the latest legal advise commissioned by Thanet District Council.