It is three years since Shepway Council approved the planning
application for the controlled expansion of Lydd Airport and it’s time
for us to know where we stand. Following that decision we have had a
planning inquiry and have been waiting over the last year for the
final decision to be made by the Secretaries of State for Transport,
and Communities and Local Government. I have asked the Planning
Minister Nick Boles MP, once again to give us a decision, and I
believe that this must be in favour of allowing the development of the
airport to proceed. I have been told that the Government is treating
this as a priority issue, and I have stressed to them that this should
mean we have a decision as soon as possible; we cannot allow any more
time to be wasted. Let’s get Romney Marsh on the runway to economic
growth.
The owners of Lydd airport have been very patient. They are poised
waiting to spend millions of pounds of their own money; money that is
ready to be invested in this country from overseas. This investment
will create jobs for local people. There will be direct employment in
the new airport facilities, but also jobs created indirectly in the
aviation and logistics businesses that will look to locate in close
proximity to the airport. This kind of business development is common
alongside successful small regional airports. Lydd Airport will also
have the advantage of being just a short distance from the high speed
rail network at Ashford. Indeed, the expansion of the airport will
help us make the case for the re-opening of the rail link from Lydd to
Ashford International station. As residents know, the track is already
in place and the line maintained to rail freight standards to allow it
to be used to supply the power station at Dungeness. Inward investment
into the Romney Marsh area is vital for its long term future.
Traditional businesses in the farming and tourism sectors will always
be important to its economy, but we also need to attract larger
employers as well.
There is another big debate taking shape about the future of the
Romney Marsh, and that is focused on the development of wind turbines.
I believe that allowing large turbines into the middle of the Marsh,
and away from the coast would be completely wrong. These large
turbines, like those proposed for Snave would change the skyline,
towering over the low lying villages and open countryside. There
should be a presumption against this kind of development on the Marsh,
and indeed for any new onshore wind farms in Shepway. The campaigning
organisation against wind farm expansion on the Marsh is called ‘Save
Our Marsh, Block Rural Exploitation’, also known as S.O.M.B.R.E. They
have organised a public meeting at Newchurch Village Hall on Thursday
21st March at 7.30pm, to discuss the wind farm proposals for Snave. I
am all for the development of new, clean and sustainable sources of
energy, but would like to see that come instead from a new generation
nuclear power station at Dungeness.