Government to ‘reconsider’ Manston cargo-hub plan
Video report by ITV Meridian's Kit Bradshaw
[Report uses British Pathé footage]
Plans to reopen Manston Airport as a cargo-plane hub are up in the air, after a High Court judgement.
A judge formally quashed the Transport Secretary’s decision to grant permission for the scheme last year.
It’s after campaigners raised tens of thousands of pounds to launch a judicial review.
In the end, the government didn’t contest the case, leading to the judgement by Mr Justice Holgate on Monday (15 February).
Ministers conceded they hadn’t given adequate reasons in its decision letter for disagreeing with the conclusions of a team of planning inspectors.
A Department for Transport spokeswoman said: "We take on board the court’s decision and the application will now need to be reconsidered."
The company behind the scheme, Riveroak Strategic Partners, said the effect of the decision is "only to require the decision to be re-taken following a further representation period, it does not reverse any earlier stages of the process."
A spokeswoman added: "The Secretary of State is likely to explain the reasons for his decision in more detail this time round."
Campaigners had argued the plans would be "highly-polluting", while those in favour say the scheme would, over 20 years, create "23,000 jobs across the economy".