Grab a hefty chunk of the TDC Regeneration budget. This is the prize money. The competition: affordable, quick-build, long-life, green housing. The location: Manston's runway, 2.7km of high performance concrete and tarmac - ready-made foundations for just about anything.Established manufacturers can offer designs straight from their existing catalogues. Newcomers, green building groups, small design firms and the like will be more inventive. Large and small alike, all these people like the prestige of winning competitions, particularly if there's a cash prize.
The criteria for the competition can consist almost entirely of popular buzz-words like: zero carbon footprint; easy assembly; recycled/sustainable materials; reproducible; removable; practical; and flexible. A key condition is that each competitor puts up at least TWO identical copies of their buildings - one is to be used as the walk-around exhibit, the other(s) will house real people.
The TDC environmental people, aided and abetted by utility companies, Government departments, and so on, can pepper the inhabited houses with environmental and energy monitoring gadgets. The real people living in the new green houses can give a running commentary (video-blog?) on how live-in-able their homes are in practice. These two factors are added to the mix (cost, green-ness, impact on local economy, etc.) when choosing the winning design, which will receive a quarter of the prize pot.
If there are enough proposals of a high enough standard, one or two dozen designs could be chosen to be built. At a stroke, you have a green housing showcase, open air research lab and attention magnet rolled into one.
Re-run the competition at three month intervals. By the end of the year, you will have a green housing exhibition park with 50 to 100 different innovative green homes, on show and being lived in by real people. There's nothing like it anywhere in Kent, probably anywhere in the country. It will attract interest, visitors, businesses and investment.
Affordable housing will always be necessary. Green housing is increasingly popular. House-building is an established and proven way of generating local employment, and supports its own network of trades, suppliers and services.
As an alternative use of the Manston site, this ticks a lot of boxes. Agree?
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Related posts:
Regen Park: there are better ways of regenerating Thanet
Outer London: Manston Airport's in the wrong place
Rearrange Kent International Airport: possible uses for the Manston site
Controlled descent: Manston's uncertain future with Infratil
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Sign the petition against night flights.
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37 comments:
I was astonshed to witness, during the KIACC public meeting recently, a member challenging Steve Griffin to suggest an alternative use of the airport - what paucity of creative thinking do we have at council level?
Ramsgate had it's very own aerodrome once upon a time - the land is now used as a light industrial estate that houses a hundred or more businesses that directly employ hundreds and hundreds of local people.
It was Steve Higgins, and I think his challenger was John Morrow of Birchington Parish Council.
I share your disappointment with the lack of imagination on show. It would be helpful if people started thinking of Manston as a blank canvas, rather than as an airport. By far the greatest asset at Manston is the runway. The question then becomes how best to use this enormous blank canvas (2,752m by 61m).
I didn't know about the aerodrome - do you know where it was, when it closed?
Excellent idea ! brilliant ! out of this world !
ooooops, just realised one tiny little floor in your eco plan!.
It doesn't belong to TDC, it would cost around £70m to purchase and it ain't for sale.
Soooooooo if you can jump over those tiny little hurdles, i think you may be on to a winner ;-)
Good luck!
sign my petition to nominate smeggers and Mr Earwax: http://electricpulp.com/guykawasaki/arse/
Gosh, STL, your first sentence was so promising ! although badly ! punctuated and spelt !
Infratil bought Manston for £17m in August 2005. Where do you get the four-fold increase in value from?
Infratil themselves could start the green housing project, and save £4m a year propping up a failed and failing airport.
The balance of probability is that Infratil selling Manston is more 'when' than 'if'. I don't expect a queue of purchasers. Possibly TDC could be the 'buyer of last resort' and exercise its compulsory purchase powers to get a bargain.
Whoever owns it next could well be attracted by the prospect of building a nationally (internationally?) important centre of excellence for green housing in less than a year. It is, as you point out, an excellent idea.
Mr Earwax - ! =8!
I am only entertaining you, because me ole boxing partner "smeggers" is on his hols.
To be honest i would have hoped that you welcomed my input to your blog as it seems a little quiet round here (you don't have many freinds do you)
You seem to have a lot of time on your hands, because you certainly produce an extreme amount of "blog blah blah" just a shame it's all a load of shite!
Have you considered wrting a book maybe?
"The ramblings of an old fool" perhaps??!!??
By the way, did you have a go at the "asshole" test??
I thought of you straight away when I found the site.
How unlike you not to give a straight answer to a straight question: where does the 'around £70m' price tag come from?
Golly - me not giving a straight answer, wow, I almost sound like a local politician, is there an expense I can claim for that?
So did you take the test or not????????!!!!!!
Watching the two of you spar I'm struck by the irony that STL acts like a loony and Mr Plugs has facts and well considered arguments. Come on Mr Loony, what's your motive here?
BTW - Ramsgate Aerodrome was on the North side of Pyson's Road and is now a thriving light industrial estate employing many hundreds of people in a variety of jobs. I don't know when it shut but there are some nice photos at the Crampton Tower Museum in Broadstairs.
"There has been an Airport in Thanet since 1915; we need to decide if we want it to become a commercially viable regional airport, and this would of course entail some evening flights. Many of us, that have lived here for decades are quite familiar with the negative attitude of some people, who will talk down Thanet's prospects at the drop of a hat, giving its higher than average unemployment as an excuse for almost everything, yet never offering solutions to fix it. But it doesn't have to be like that; we need to go forward together; however, I acknowledge that some of us will have to compromise. In European terms, we are located in a very good position and are well placed to be a major centre for tourism and business in the 21st century. Thanet should be Kent's success story; let us make it happen! "
Representative for Birchington North
John, I don't think the length of the airport's past (most of which was military anyway) is relevant when discussing its future - it's not as if it improves with age. Commercial viability will probably result in 'evening' flights, but absolutely does not require night flights (between 11pm and 7am).
In the relatively short time I've been living in Kent I've met widespread recognition that Thanet has more than its fair share of problems, but I've not come across much talking down of Thanet. On the contrary: there's plenty of activity (and some hot air, to be fair) from Thanetians fighting their corner, and the rest of Kent and the Kentish being supportive.
Breaking the cycle of unemployment by providing jobs and opportunities for job creation will play a major role in getting Thanet back up where it belongs. However, I don't think KIA is the panacea it's cracked up to be. If employment is your yardstick for success, please bear in mind that there are many more employment-intensive ways of using the Manston site.
I agree that Thanet has much unrealised potential, and is well-placed to thrive in the 21st century, and that this will take co-operation. I would point out, however, that compromise over aircraft noise will be much easier for those (in Birchington, for example) who don't live under the flightpath.
There is a post on the STL site that says the night flights are a done deal and something about CPO of something?
From The Australian Business today:
Infratil needs capital but, with its shares selling at 30 per cent below net asset value, is unlikely to approach the market for equity. So the company has been selling assets. Recent sales include Infratil's stake in Fuller Ferries and the sale of three bus depots.
You may be onto something here Mr E, if they can get a return on their initial investment and get rid of some of the debt on the books then a housing estate makes some sense. Maybe STL could become a builder?
Anon: 5.30
This is old news, Matt has already gone on record and stated that KIA will NOT be sold.
Try your google button again.
Jean: you walk in the shadow of Mr Earwax and hang on his every word - quite sad really.
My motive is challenge the relenting bullshit spouting out from this and the smeggers site.
More often than not I am proved right and the thread go's strangely quiet until the next alarming piece of news from one of the loons.
STL, wrong again the announcement is from today's press. As it refers to the head office in NZ even you can work out that these are the people ultimately responsible for Matt?
STL for you http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,25748729-30538,00.html
STL: a brief introduction to the harsh realities of life...
Infratil is an infrastructure investment company, specialising in energy and transport. It is not a charity, it is not altruistic, it is a profit-driven business.
If a company it buys is consistently profitable (a 'cash cow') Infratil keeps it, milks it for all it's worth, and then sells what's left.
If the investment doesn't turn a profit, and shows no sign of doing so any time soon, it is asset-stripped, streamlined (i.e. redundancies, as at Prestwick), made as attractive as possible to potential purchasers, and then sold. That's Infratil's duty to its shareholders.
KIA is not a cash cow, it's a money pit.
Of course Infratil is going to sell KIA. The only question is when.
I find it quite interesting to learn that some residents that have only lived in the area for two minutes, already feel that they know whats best for the rest of us.
Could you imagine what response I would get if I moved to Cornwall and after living there for a year started the 'Stop the Eden Project group' saying that "It encourages too many cars and therefore can't really be a green project" and proposing that they build an industrial estate on the site instead.
Of course I would have a right to start the group, but don't you think it would be a rudy cheek?
Mr Earwax
Thanks ever so much for that valuable lesson, yet you still only provide "an opinion" not a FACT.
Prestwick was "streamlined" as you call it, because it was losing money and needed to reduce fixed costs to enable it to compete in what is a very difficult industry to be in at the moment.
Look around you WAKE UP, this is going all over the country, survival of the fittest!
Jobs are still being lost by the thousands, companies are folding on a daily basis, ANY company will do what it needs to do to secure it's future, you only have to look over at British Airways latest headlines to see this.
By the way, typing in BOLD doesnt make it true.
Loony.
Anon 9.05
Are you Australian, do you read the Australian news on a daily basis?
Or are you a sad little Google basher, that has nothing better to do, than spend hours looking for a bit of trivial scandal, so you can make a post in the hope of getting a "scoop" on a local blog?
The latter me thinks.
John, there's nothing 'cheeky' about voicing an opinion - it's the basis of democracy.
The two minutes that I have lived in the area have been more than long enough to realise that what's best for 'the rest' (which includes me, of course) is the opportunity for informed debate and effective public consultation on any proposal which, like KIA, will affect tens of thousands of residents for decades.
I think I get the intended drift of the rest of your comment, but I think the analogy with the Eden Project is very poorly chosen.
If KIA restarts passenger services, most of those passengers will also be arriving by car. The difference at Eden is that the people then spend their money locally in the Eden Project, B&Bs, pubs and restaurants, rather than taking their money abroad: this supports and stimulates the local economy. The Eden Project has a well-deserved international reputation for innovation, education, environmental awareness and conservation. KIA has an international reputation for... what?
STL: "you still only provide "an opinion" not a FACT" - rich coming from you. You still haven't answered my question about where you got the £70m price tag for Manston.
Anyway, as any fule kno, something can only be a fact if it has already happened.
And typing in capitals is rude, apparently.
STL, are you about reasoned debate or simply using gutter language (also to women) and rebuttal? If you want to be abusive - don't hide.......
Anon:
Hey guess what? Its me "STL"
This is me hiding and in answer to your question:
ermmmmm, well er, it's a bit of both really, I don't mind a bit of reasoned debate, but it is rarely very reasonable and i'm not shy of throwing in a f**ks, when it suits.
Hows that for an answer, happy now?
Not that i really care whether you are happy or not.
stop THE LOOnies is what the Americans call a 'toilet-mouth'.
I think I may re-christen him/her/it/them 'The Loo'.
I agree with John; how dare people move here only to tell us that we've got it all wrong. Why did they bother to move here in the first place if they don't like it. And yes its very very cheeky! If they don't like it they should move back!
STL do you hit women as well?
Mr Earplugs
Is that what the Americans told you when when you tried to tell them whats good for them?
Me hit women? NO NEVER !
Well........ maybe a little slap now and again if the housework isn't up to scratch.
For my next trick, I will be growing horns and producing a 3 pronged fork from my backside!
I think I may re-christen him/her/it/them 'The Loo'.
Oooooh you are a cheeky one aren't you, whatever next.
Mr Earplugs, I suggest that you change your name to 'MR OMNISCIENT'
Mr earwax has nothing better to do than moan, he moved to Herne Bay, miles from the Airport and see's a passing plane, which is probably around 3000ft by the time it gets to him and doesn't like it.
HE DOESN'T EVEN LIVE IN THANET
Who is this loser that writes so much garbbage, why is he here?
He's a sad, little eco warrior with time on his hands.
Probably got caught out recently, reporting loud aircraft over his house, when in fact it was passing thunderstorm!
Mr Loo
So you live in Thanet, work at the airport, hit women and appear to be a bully. Accurate summary.
John Worrow
Is Thanet still feudal?
If you have been here 60 years or 6 minutes, your rights are the same.
Your use of the eden project example is interesting. It is an interesting use of a old, useless, underused site. Now where can I find one of those in Thanet that could be put to better use........
Stop The Loonies is an anagram of Sent Hostile Poo.
"sent hostile poo"
Seriously Mr Earwax, is that really all you have to do all day..........you really are a sad little bunny aren't you.
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