RiverOak Investments finalises professional team for Manston Airport DCO
RiverOak have just announced that they have finalised their team for the DCO process. Their statement follows:
RiverOak Investments finalises professional team for Manston Airport DCO
May 31, 2016 | Media statement
RiverOak Investments has completed the appointment of its comprehensive professional team, which includes legal, aviation, planning, environmental impact, public affairs and public relations specialists, to support its application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) in relation to Manston Airport.
The team is led by eminent London law firm Bircham Dyson Bell (BDB), which specialises in DCOs and offers one of the largest and most experienced DCO teams in the United Kingdom. To date they have acted for the promoters of 11 successfully granted Development Consent Orders with a 12th in progress, and they have acted or are acting for third parties affected by a further 12.
Internationally respected engineering consultancy Amec Foster Wheeler will lead on preparation of a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) covering issues ranging from noise, air and water quality to transport impact and historic environment. Amec Foster Wheeler has particular experience in delivering EIAs and consents for DCO applications and other large infrastructure projects, including some of the largest and most high-profile projects such as Hinkley Point C nuclear power station and the third runway proposals at Heathrow Airport – which will become a DCO project should it gain Government support.
Northpoint Aviation Consultancy continues to support RiverOak in all aspects of the airport investment appraisal, forecasting, business planning and due diligence. They are joined by Viscount Aviation, Azimuth Consulting, whose focus will be the further development of a detailed demand and capacity study of the UK air freight market, and Osprey. The latter will support the team on airspace issues relating to the CAA licensing process which runs in parallel to the DCO application. In addition, Mouchel will provide land referencing services to the project.
It is RiverOak’s intention to apply for a comprehensive DCO encompassing the compulsory purchase of the airport and the planning permissions required for the reinstatement of Manston as a successful and profitable airfreight hub, of national significance, with services including:
- a major international centre for air freight;
- a reliever for the major airports of London;
- an extensive aircraft recycling and engineering facility;
- a base for at least one passenger carrier;
- a flight training school; and
- a fixed base operation for executive travel
George Yerrall, of RiverOak Investment Corp, said: “We have had productive initial meetings with the Planning Inspectorate, covering a range of issues relevant to RiverOak’s proposed application. We have now put in place a very strong and experienced team of aviation and planning experts to support us as we move further forward through the process.
“our intention is to consult widely with the community in East Kent and beyond to ensure we hear and can respond to the hopes, aspirations and concerns of people living across the region as part of our proposals. Manston has a strong case to be considered a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project as it offers much-needed runway capacity in the South East of England and is a resource that should be working hard on behalf of the country, not simply left derelict to be bulldozed for housing and light industrial use that is already well provided for in the local area.”
For the sake of international trade Manston is a must as we are short of runways space in the Southeast to take cargo aircraft so we must open up Manston as soon as we can so we don’t loose out to the likes of Schiphol