Council Officers’ report published

The Council Officers’ report in regards to the airport CPO has been published.

The  officer’s recommendation reads “that no further action be taken at the present time on a CPO of Manston Airport, on the basis that the Council has not identified any suitable expressions of interest that fulfil the requirements of the Council for a CPO indemnity partner and that it does not have the financial resources to pursue a CPO in its own right.” More can be found here.

RiverOak responded by saying that they were “surprised and disappointed at the recommendations being made by Thanet District Council to its councillors not to proceed with the compulsory purchase of Manston Airport in Kent.” RiverOak state that  they “delivered to the Council all the relevant paperwork and information that they have asked for, and throughout we have stood by our commitment to cover all the costs of the CPO.” The full statement from RiverOak is here.

Nigel Farage, leader of the UKIP party, has announced that if they receive a majority in the Thanet District Council May 2015 election they will pursue the CPO with a partner.

Supporters of Manston Airport will continue to fight for the airport. We would like to remind everyone that this is just a recommendation and not a final decision. The upcoming rally before the Cabinet meeting in which this report will be discussed is more crucial than ever. Please join us outside the TDC Offices in Margate from 18:00 on 11th December 2014. More information on the protest can be found on our event page here.