Airport neighbours’ lives will be ‘made a misery’ – again
Saturday 23rd July 2011, 2:29PM BST.
Sue Ephgrave was among those affected by the last major works at the airport – the terminal building – and is calling for a cement batching plant for upcoming runway work to be sited somewhere less residential. (Picture by Steve Sarre, 1162180)
Rue des Landes resident Sue Ephgrave estimates that around 500 people living in La Planque, Rue des Landes and nearby States housing will be affected by noise, dust and disruption.
But Public Services Department airport project manager Gerry Prickett believes there will be very little disruption to residents – and although other sites have been considered, none of them were as suitable as the one chosen within the airport boundary.
Mrs Ephgrave was living in the road when the new airport terminal was being constructed.
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@Sue Ephgrave
Why not turn your concerns around, get positive and, become a cottage industry; you could set up a web site; many of us frequent flyers are at times mislead by the airport arrivals and departures sites we rely on, you on the other hand could provide an on the end/at the side of the runway, invaluable service.
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Let’s face it, the only reason they want to expand the runway is to satisfy the demands of the finance industry and encourage more into the Island. this sector doesn’t give a dam about anything other than making fat cats even fatter!
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Spot on sapphire. There is far too much fawning from certain deputies over “high net-worth individuals”
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@ Sapphire
I agree 100 percent, who cares about the normal working class in this island, not the people in charge thats for sure…..Boycott the vote !!!!!
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Sapphire / Rocquaine
This is all getting a bit Pythonesque – what did the finance industry ever do for us eh?
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I am not referring to the finance industry per se, rather the runway extension by stealth and the specific people it will benefit. And it ain’t your average bank or trust clerk.Although they might find they are paying for it.
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Not a lot your average islanders Phil. Other sectors have to work longer hours to accomodate finance workers who want to shop etc on THEIR Bank Holidays, we have to pay inflated prices in English stores, we are dictated English Law “Guidelines” because (when u really dig under the surface of what we are being told, it really suits finance businesses more so than our french counter parts guidelines, laws and regulations, (who, by the way, are more connected to the Island history/heritage wise!
Sorry but It’s mostly money minded finance people running, (or is that ruining), our Island and they appear to have no thought of the consequences. Maybe someone else would explain, (as i can’t find the right words ), how the finance industry is to blame for the recent fishing pay off scandal I feel that if this had been dealt with by a goverment who was more in touch with Island life the outcome could have been very different …. Plus we would probably still have some sea life left in our waters!
This current goverment seems to be intent on squeezing out the local businesses by making up ridiculous inconsistent laws (that only appear to apply to small local businesses and local people) and encouraging much bigger off shore companies to come over and build/open anything. The demands and wants of finance which apparently brings more money into certain pockets….. Sorry i meant into Guernsey is killing Island life in the process, all in the name of so called progress! Big company ideas and procedures etc may well work in large countries where they have a large enough population to sustain them but this is an ISLAND and if anyone doesn’t like life here as we live it then why come over in the first place?
Some will probably point out that people have a good wages nice cars and houses over here…. Yes some do, right. … But what sector do most of those who have all that work in? I rest my case!
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Deputy Flouquet, he’s not the messiah, he’s a very naughty boy.
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@Sapphire and all you anti finance brigade could you please tell me what other industry there is in Guernsey to keep the working class working I am really keen to find out.
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Maybe if people had put up more of a fight against the scale of this entire overblown project by lobbying deputies then we wouldn’t be having this problem, or certainly much less of a problem with noise and other associated factors.
It’s very sad that many people seem to be more concerned with the short term effects such as noise and truck routes (annoying – yes) rather than the long term environmental damage that is going to be caused by the infill.
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@Sapphire
Try substituting the word “Jew” for “finance workers” and see what it sounds like.
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Sapphire
So where do you suggest Guernsey earns its export revenue then, if not from the finance industry?
You say that the average Islander hasn’t benefited much, you can’t be serious surely? Virtually every industry feeds off the money that the finance industry provides (builders, restaurants, bars, garages, retailers, taxi drivers, States workers etc) do you not accept that?
Until another industry is found that can generate large amounts of exports we are wholly reliant on finance, that is the simple truth of the matter. It’s not ideal but it’s reality, so it’s an industry worth accommodating don’t you think?
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The biggest long term effect is that the airport is engulfing the high parishes.
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The industry of the day is generally the one that brings modest wealth to the most people. We’ve done fishing, growing and stocking manufacture. Finance is king but you would need to be pretty bold to argue that finance will be around for ever.
Lessons from coal mining and steel towns is that tourism is the obvious back stop against recession in a primary industry. It is so important to make sure Guernsey can retain it’s charm. Its hard to see how overwhelming the high parishes with an oversized airport will act in our tourism interests.
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Can someone enlighten me on how the finance industry needs the scale of works proposed by PSD?
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I suggest they extend the runway sufficiently to allow transatlantic flights to land in Guernsey. I don’t want to have to fly to Gatwick and occasionally transfer to Heathrow anymore.
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@ blokeinlondon!
My goodness what a boon is the Internet; one can learn something new every day,
You for instance this very day gave me a bit more news,
You are telling me that Flouquet is human? are you sure of that.
Why I ask is because others have described him as being a bit of a ‘monkey’
others; with, well you read them all I daresay.
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Quite right, AN.other….;))
…come to think of it, let’s just concrete over the whole of the Forest and build an uber runway that we can land a space shuttle on. The banks will all have all legged it by then, and we can start a whole new space tourist industry from here…..
we’ll all make a fortune….!!
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To all those convinced this airport work has anything to do with the finance industry; Clearly you folk have an axe to grind, finance workers do actually contribute a lot to the island in tax etc, after all they all get paid loads eh..!!
However, although no doubt business travel is an important sector in passenger figures the airport upgrades are more to do with Guernsey continuing to be a direct regional airport and not becoming a satellite of Jersey or backwater, imagine if we all had to fly via Jersey to get anywhere, doesnt thinking about!!
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The majority of people commenting on this and other airport threads need to do their homework, the runway is NOT being extended, it is being moved west and the runway end safety areas are being altered to meet with CAA regulations.
The usable runway length is remaining the same.
Too many people are spouting rubbish without having the first clue about what and why the refurbishment is needed.
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Dear Kevin,
I suggest you go away and do YOUR homework. The take of run available (TORA) will increase on Runway 27 as a result of the westwards move.
Neither is the move in order to meet CAA regulations. A 240 metre RESA is NOT a regulation, it is a recommendation. Do you see the difference?
So, respectfully, you do not appear to have the first clue.
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Get real, it’s not going to cause that much disruption, I live nearby the airport and saw very little disruption during the construction of the new airport building.
You’d think these people would have more important things to worry about than whinging about this. They won’t make it too bad seeing as there are two rather important things along that road – Forest School & Le Rondin School, it’s not going to be that dangerous or disruptive given that consideration will no doubt be given to that
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Probably the only reason the residents who are scared of more dust and debris are the ones who will have to take more than their normal annual bath in their tin tubs in front of the sitting room fire.
I mean, when they built the terminal they had to have TWO baths a month and they nearly got through the grime to their skin.
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@wombat
I also live near to Airport. It’s not only the additional traffic for the runway going to the Forest, but also the Forest School, Le Rondin, sewage carts and the Forest Enroute! The road is supposed to be a 25 mph limit and I can assure you that the majority of people don’t abide by the limit. Even the school caretakers in their flourescent jackets, stand out on the school cross roads with their arms out to stop the traffic, and on numerous occasions, have been close to being knocked over as well as the school children. Only the other day one nearly got knocked down as a blue skoda failed to notice him!
Forest residents don’t just take a tin bath once a month, we are all the same as the rest of the island, thank you very much.
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j jones,
Yes, you are right, I stand corrected on the RESA length requirement, 240m is a CAA recommendation and 90m RESA is a bare minimum requirement.
However having looked at the CAA regulation CAP 168 I understand that the landing / takeoff distances required could potentially be reduced if the CAA consider the minimum 90M RESA requirement is insufficient for our airport.
With regards to the runway length available being increased it appears that the landing distances available would remain as they are now (1463m) which indicates to me that it is only being lengthened and moved 120m west to accomodate the longer RESAS.
I’d be interested to have a look at the revised TORA/TODA/LDA distances, where did you find them?
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A lot of that information is in the Mott MacDonald report which is available on the Airport site here:
http://www.gov.gg/ccm/navigation/public-services/guernsey-airport/airport-2040/independent-review-of-runway-end-safety-area-options-for-guernsey-airport/
Whicch is a very interesting read.
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@ Sapphire that was a bit of a rant wasn’t it? You don’t appear to have been able to answer @ John’s question about what other work there is for ‘working class’ people in Guernsey?
I don’t work in the finance industry but I would contend that those who do are probably seriously subsidising you. With a taxation system as we have it’s fairly easy to ascertain how much tax each of us pays as there are no hidden taxes such as VAT. So @ Sapphire, take a few moments to look at what you pay in and what you get out of the system and if you find you do rather well then be thankful to those you despise, those better off than you, for they are paying in more a taking less out so that you may benefit.
You might not want them here and they might not want to be paying for you but that’s the way it is. You get bailed out and they get lower taxes than they’d pay elsewhere. Win Win if you think about it.
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It is inconceivable that the CAA would suddenly pitch up one day and say we have to increase RESAs – if so there are many other airports that would come under the spotlight.
PSD should have entered into discussion with the CAA on the minimum length RESA required for Guernsey and acted accordingly.
PSD have the figures on distances and they are in the 2009 Billet also.
The TORA for 27 will increase as will the TODA for both runways. The LDA will stay the same but as aircraft are generally more limited on take off than landing, this will be of benefit to some aircraft. None of the current commercial operators need it however. But we are paying hugely for it.
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@Sapphire
‘Money minded Finance People’
There seems to be a lot of people on this island that assume that if you work in a bank you are paid well. I think you will find that anyone with a trade ie Electrician, Plumber, Panel Beater etc are paid a lot more that the average finance employee.
Also if there were no finance industry thousands of people would be unemployed
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Well said Lisa and Hello. I am not employed in the finance sector but I am one of those who appreciate that finance is the main driver of our economy and that without its emergence 30 years ago, just as the growing and tourism industries were shrinking fast, we would have been in serious trouble.
Not only that, this industry has had a very positive effect in making our island society more cosmopolitan one and even a little more multicultural and outward thinking. Okay,a bit more materialistic as well and I don’t like that particular side effect but sometimes you just have to take the bad with the good.
As for the airport project it’s been voted through now. Just live with it.
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Guess my last post was written with emotions and not mind eh …The point i’m trying to make is that we HAVE no other industry to fall back on anymore (i didn’t have to answer John because if answered his question himself (We HAVE to rely on finance because there IS Nothing else left here now. The goverment have focused on finance which i understand is only here because it doesn’t pay the business taxes as other sectors do. So actualy we DO end up payin with higher taxes inflation etc. To subsidise the fact that finance does not appear to pay taxes like jo average. The people i’m talking about are not ur average bank cashier but the big bosses who drain our pockets by gettin over the top bonuses and salaries etc. If finance pulls out the Island, GUERNSEY is finished.!! Who’s fault???
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@ Sapphire – You need to bush up on your Guernsey Company Profits Tax – The banking sector pays 10% other business don’t pay anything. So no, you can rest assured you’re not paying subsidising them.
They may well get over the top salaries and bonuses but I’m sure you wouldn’t be complaining if you were well paid too? Of course if they are earning a couple hundred thousand they’ll be paying fifty odd thousand in tax and social security which goes some way to keeping tax lower for the rest of us.
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Sapphire, Wow! You would never make a good deputy as u are way too honest and passionate in what you think, no holding u back lol! I kind of get what u are saying though and u do have some good points but it’s not the people who work in finance who are at fault. In my view it’s the way finance companies work and a goverment that is blinded by all things shiny that’s to blame. (I was under the impression that zero 10 was brought in for the benefit of the finance industry paying less than other businesses, (even though the idea was seen about as popular as a fart in a lift by many). So thanks for the info Hello but i’m sure a lot of people believe that finance is growing fast over here for that reason. The goverment needs to start balancing out with other sectors because the Island can not be sustained without the others in the long term. I am sure that those who are well off and have a comfortable living benefit quite nicely from how the Island is currently run and wouldn’t want to rock the boat for fear of losing those nice little extras, that the finance brings but Sapphire, u appear to be one of the ones who doesn’t benefit from it as others on this forum seem to? maybe you work hard to scrape a living and watch ur taxes being swallowed up by a greedy goverment that certainly appears more “money minded” than thinking about looking after the very commodities that brings the money to the finance companies in the first place. I think I understand when u refer to “finance minded people” I presume you mean that they are trained to find ways of making money fast where as you or I who have no experience in politics or finance only see greed and immediately blame the ones who have all the power and clout. At the end of the day we are all greedy in a way, as we take and use more than we really need to, bleeding this world dry of all its resources. Food and fuel is running out fast because we take take take without a thought of what happens when we can take no more. Anyway back to the runway problems. I think EMAS would have been more costly in the long term as it’s not cheap to maintain (so I’ve been told), and while i feel for the people who will encounter problems during the work taking place it would be fair to say that wherever it is on the Island, it’s so over populated that there’s always going to be work carried out on someones doorstep. Lets hope it’s finished as quick as possible :-)
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For christ`s sake people of the Forest you aren`t the only ones who will be effected by the transportation of all this rubble or the mixing of the concrete on site. We all live on a small island and the work needs to be done so grit your teeth (then don`t forget to brush afterwards), then brace yourselves because it`s going to happen whether you like it or not.
One for all, and all for one.
As long as the dirty workings stay in The Forest and st Sampsons who cares?
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One could argue till one is blue in the face over whether the runway is being lengthened, shifted or both, and whether it is necessary.
But the fact of the matter is, and a fact which is constantly being conveniently overlooked, the current usable runway length at Guernsey Airport is much longer than is required for the aircraft flying to Guernsey today and there is no evidence to suggest that that situation will need to change in the future.
Therefore, to increase the safety areas of the runway, one could simply and safely shorten the runway to what is really needed and save literally tens of millions of pounds.
But I suspect there are a few well off, connected people who would lose out on small fortunes should such a more practical and realistic step be taken.
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Oh what a tangled web we weave
guernsey people the most conceited in the world
come the end of the exodus you wont need a airport
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Alvin J Furrer,
I think you will find that the Guernsey runway could not be shortened to accept the aircraft that use it at the moment, the Flybe Dash 8 Q400s require between 1300 and 1400m to take off with a full load, the Aurigny ATR 72 between 1200 and 1300m.
Our runway is 1463m so that does not leave much to spare!
So unless you want to travel to Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham etc on a Trislander I suggest we need the length we’ve got now.
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