Councillors call to sell Newquay Airport
TWO councillors have sparked a damning response from officials after calling for Newquay Airport to be sold and all monies to be ploughed into adult social care in Cornwall.
Cornwall County Councillors John Payne and Roy Mann, who represent wards in Penzance, issued the motion which is set to be heard at Monday’s full council meeting at County Hall.
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The duo claim the authority’s money would be better spent on social care rather than furthering the expansion of the airport.
Cllr Mann said: “We both want to see more money put into social care in Cornwall.
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“There needs to be a change in the system with the levels of care for those on basic and other needs and more funding needs to be channelled into this.
“It is a case of prevention rather than cure.”
It is believed Cornwall County Council currently spends around £4 million a year on Newquay Airport through various subsidies.
The airport has also received £12 million in Objective One funding, £8 million from the South West Regional Development Agency and has agreed to borrow £10 million against future income from airport development fees.
It is also seeking around £40 million over the next five years from Convergence Funding.
However, Cllr Andrew Mitchell, Cornwall County Council’s portfolio holder for the economy, described the motion to sell off the airport as “unhelpful, meaningless and ridiculous”.
“How can we sell something that, technically, we don’t own,” he said.
“I don’t know how two members of Cornwall County Council can come forward with something that is so ill-informed.
“I understand the sentiments of their motion but they have missed by a mile on this one.”
Cllr Mitchell said there was some scope in the future that the airport may be sold.
“It is the position of this council that maybe one day in the future; that could be 10 or 20 years down the line, when the airport starts to make a surplus then we would consider selling either part of it or all of it.
“But until that is the case then this motion simply has no place.”
Cornwall County Council is set to officially take over the running of the airport on December 1 from the Ministry of Defence at RAF St Mawgan.
Cllr Mitchell said such a motion could damage relations and possibly hinder any future investment in the airport.
“To go forward with such a motion could actually be quite dangerous and could effect many contracts we are involved in.
“If this was passed, we may have to back out of contracts we bound by, meaning we would owe companies millions. There would certainly be no money left to go into adult social care.”
Comments
by Alex Wright, Preston
Saturday, October 18 2008, 8:29AM
“Looking at the comments shown, I am disappointed by the lack of enthusiasm for the airport. As someone who used to live in Cornwall, I was delighted to see the expansion plans for the airport. Cornwall is the poorest county in the country and the increase in local tourism that the airport would bring, can only bring badly-needed tourists' pounds into the county. If one observes other areas in the country, where ex-military airports are now civilian regional airports, the growth of business and tourism in these towns and cities is phenomenal.
So I say, 'Go Newquay Airport' and good luck to them!”
by Kris Akabusi, St Ives
Monday, October 06 2008, 8:44AM
“Newquay Airport is undoubtedly the worst airport I've used in my life - and they still have the cheek to charge me a fiver every time I fly out of it, it's daylight robbery by the airport and CCC. How they feel they have the right to do that is anyone's guess. See all the airports in Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles? All of them owned by the local authority in each area? Many of them have been re-developed recently, yet they don't introduce any extra charges, oh, and the parking is free for as long as you like - not to mention the fact if you live there you get 40% off all flights in and out of them.
Newquay Airport - a fiver to fly out of, yet there's nothing there, just a room with not enough seats and a tiny little shop. Arrivals is even worse - one bog pan for every one, one actual pan!
For goodness sake sort it out and stop charging us for the privilege of using a conveniently placed, yet utter pish airport.”
by steve, newquay
Saturday, October 04 2008, 12:36PM
“Sometimes its shocks me at the levels of stupidity I see in some councilors, but John Payne and Roy Mann have set a whole new level. Selling Newquay Airport is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. For one thing it shows extreme short slightness which I personally find worrying from councilors. Cornwall need an airport as tourism is the life blood of this county. Secondly who would buy an Airport which needs a huge investment in a recession? The Cornwall County Council has shown good judgment by supporting and developing of this essential facility. I just hope they show equally good judgment by ignoring these two short sighted ill-informed councilors.”