The relocation of the RAF’s High-Resolution Direction Finder (HRDF) is a requirement in the DCO as it stands in the way of the airport’s redevelopment.
Part of a UK-wide radio navigation system used to locate aircraft and emergency beacons, it is close to the main runway and is protected by a safeguarding area. Under the terms of the DCO, a decommissioning and removal programme must be prepared and agreed by the Ministry of Defence before any development can start.
Similarly, discussions are also now underway with the Home Office and Kent County Council regarding necessary upgrades to The Spitfire Way/ Manston Road crossroads outside the RAF History Museum.
The long-overdue upgrading of this junction is another requirement in the DCO. Indications are that the availability of Home Office land now means that the History Museum’s forecourt will no longer be required as the location and a new roundabout can be constructed during 2026.
Tony Freudmann, director of RSP which owns the airport, said: “Both of these projects are important enabling works, required under the terms of the granting of the DCO, that need to be completed before the main construction work can get underway. They are illustrative of the myriad of complex, interconnected and often lengthy projects that need to take place to enable Manston to move towards reopening.”