Legal challenge against Manston Airport reopening rejected by High Court

A second attempt to block plans to reopen Manston Airport have been rejected by a High Court judge. The ruling ends a judicial review into the government’s decision to green light the plans for the airport, made in August 2022 by parliamentary under secretary of state for transport Karl McCartney. The case was launched following […]

UK government green lights plans to turn Manston Airport into cargo hub

The UK Department for Transport has approved plans for RiverOak Strategic Partners (RSP) to develop Manston Airport in Kent into a cargo hub. The £500 million investment plans were approved by the UK government after “five long years of detailed scrutiny,” RSP announced, with the Development Consent Order (DCO) received last week. “The DCO will […]

RiverOak acquires Manston Airport from Stone Hill

Stone Hill Park has sold its interests in the defunct Manston Airport site to RiverOak Strategic Partners. Contracts for the former airport, which closed in May 2014 were exchanged on 2 July and completion of the purchase is expected to take place early next week. The site is subject to a Development Consent Order, examining […]

HGVs arrive at Manston Airport for Brexit trial

Former airport Manston Airport is being used as a lorry park for a trial run in the UK leaves the European Union with no-deal. The trial was organised by the Department of Transport and Kent County Council to deal with traffic queuing for border checks at Dover, which could stretch back 29 miles when the […]

Make your views about RiverOak’s Manston proposals known

The representation period to examine the Development Consent Order of Manston Airport has opened today (3 September), giving interested parties a chance to make their views on the proposals known. RiverOak Strategic Partners is proposing to reopen the airport as a cargo hub with a capacity for 12,000 movements per year, with some passenger and […]

Planning Inspectorate to examine Manston proposals

The Planning Inspectorate has accepted the application to examine reopening Manston Airport, primarily as a cargo airport with capacity for at least 12,000 movements per year. The airport located in the Thanet district of Kent closed on 15 May 2014, and there has been a local campaign to reopen Manston. US investment group, RiverOak Investments […]

RiverOak resubmits development plans for Manston Airport

RiverOak Strategic Partners has resubmitted its application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to acquire and develop Manston Airport. The DCO application seeking development consent and compulsory acquisition powers over the site was originally submitted to the government Planning Inspectorate (PINS) at the beginning of April but it was withdrawn in early May to satisfy […]

Manston plans withdrawn ‘temporarily’, new ones due soon

The company behind the plan to reopen Manston Airport has withdrawn its Development Consent Order application that had been submitted with the Planning Inspectorate. RiverOak Strategic Partners submitted 63 documents totalling almost 11,000 pages of proposals and plans to reopen Manston Airport as a freight hub with complimentary passenger and general aviation services to the […]

RiverOak submits plans to reopen Manston as an airfreight hub

RiverOak Strategic Partners has submitted 11,000 pages of proposals and plans to the Planning Inspectorate with the intention of reopening Manston Airport as an airfreight hub. Manston Airport, located in the Thanet district of Kent has been closed since 15 May 2014. Since then RiverOak has been working on reopening the airport, initially intending to […]

Reducing aircraft noise at heart of plan to reopen Manston Airport

The company wanting to acquire Manston Airport to reopen it have published a draft Noise Mitigation Plan as it refines its proposals for the defunct site. RiverOak Strategic Partners, which acquired all rights and interests and assumed financial and operational responsibility for the Development Consent Order to reopen the airport, which closed in May 2014, […]

RiverOak opens consultation to revive Manston as a cargo hub

RiverOak Strategic Partners has opened its consultation on proposals to revive Manston Airport as an airfreight hub with associated business aviation and passenger services. Manston closed in May 2014 and has since been sold with plans to redevelop the site, but there has been a strong local campaign to reopen it. US based RiverOak Investment […]

RiverOak to hold meetings to reopen Manston as airfreight hub

RiverOak Strategic Partners is to hold seven public consultation events as part of a six-week consultation period to reopen Manston Airport as an airfreight hub. Manston Airport was closed in May 2014 and there has been a local campaign to reopen it. US firm RiverOak Investment Corp had offered to act as an indemnity partner […]

RiverOak launches joint venture to reopen Manston Airport

RiverOak Strategic Partners has taken all financial operational responsibility for the Development Consent Order (DCO) to reopen and operate Manston Airport. Manston Airport was closed in May 2014 and since then there has been a long running local campaign to reopen it. The site has been sold to developers but RiverOak Investment Corp attempted to acquire […]

RiverOak brands Manston report “irrelevant” and “thin on evidence”

The US investment firm attempting to purchase Manston Airport with the plan to reopen it as a cargo hub has branded a report describing it as “unviable” as “irrelevant” and “thin on evidence”. RiverOak Investment Corp has been attempting to purchase the airport which closed in May 2014 as an indemnity partner with the local […]

Reopening Manston “very unlikely to be financially viable”

Manston Airport is “very unlikely to be financially viable in the longer term and almost certainly not possible in the period to 2031” according to a report by aviation industry experts, AviaSolutions. The airport, which closed in May 2014 has been subject to a long running campaign to reopen it, with US investment firm RiverOak […]

War of words flares up over Manston night flights

A war of words has flared up as the US investment firm attempting to acquire Manston Airport dispute claims made by a campaign group about the potential for night flights. RiverOak Investment Corp has been trying to acquire the site since it closed in May 2014, and has been trying to use a development consent […]

Manston to serve as airfreight hub if reopened

Manston Airport will be reopened as an airfreight and cargo hub, supporting the UK government’s aim of increasing aviation capacity, the US investment firm attempting to purchase the closed hub says. RiverOak Investments has been attempting to purchase the airport, which closed in May 2014. It had tried acquiring the site as the indemnity partner […]

Potential new indemnity partners to reopen Manston Airport

The compulsory purchase of Manston Airport could be back on after Thanet District Council received three valid submissions for indemnity partners following a soft market testing exercise. A Prior Information Notice calling for expressions of interest were published in the Office Journal of the European Union on 15 January. Thanet says it received five expressions […]

RiverOak launches new Manston bid

The investment firm that has been attempting to buy the defunct Manston Airport is to use a development consent order (DCO) to try and purchase the site. RiverOak Investment has been attempting to buy the airport since before it was closed in May 2014. It had offered to be the indemnity partner for the local […]

Manston Airport CPO rejected again

Manston Airport will not be subjected to a compulsory purchase order (CPO) after Thanet District Council rejected the plans, saying plans by the indemnity partner, RiverOak Investment was insufficient. The council had deferred the decision to carry out the CPO in December 2014, but when the UK Independence Party (UKIP) took control of TDC in […]

War of words over former cargo hub Manston Airport

Thanet District Council (TDC) is to hold an extraordinary cabinet meeting on 29 October to discuss the future of Manston Airport after a war of words broke out between the council leader and indemnity partner. The UK council is trying to carry out a compulsory purchase order (CPO) on the airport, which closed in May […]