Newquay Airport gets £24m boost
European Commission bureaucrats yesterday rubber-stamped a £24.3 million package – already matched by EU money – designed to boost current passenger figures from 425,000 a year to 700,000 by 2011.
The money will bankroll the construction of new facilities ranging from hangars to a new hotel, designed to boost the amount of money the airport generates for the Cornish economy.
Tourism leaders said the move would raise the profile of Cornwall and swell the county's coffers. But environmental campaigners described it as "insanity".
Cornwall Council, which owns the airport, said it was delighted with the announcement.
Chris Cain, project director at Newquay Cornwall Airport, said: "We knew we'd put together a good application for this grant – but you can never be 100 per cent sure that you will receive approval.
"If funding is delayed for any reason, costs rise in the meantime.
"This grant means that we can get on finishing the job and on budget.
"We have the full package to develop the site on the south side (of the airport), which includes new hangars, a new access road, new hotel and a conference centre."
The Commission has already matched Government funding with a £22.5 million EU contribution.
EU officials ruled that the funding was in line with its state aid rules, because of the transition of the airport from a partial military base, RAF St Mawgan, to a fully civilian airport.
They ruled that the grant "met a clearly defined objective of general interest, notably the development of the Cornwall region."
The Government cash is an unexpected addition to meet requirements for a full civilian operating licence.
According to the statement, the new grant had pushed the airport development budget from £44.2 million to £68.4 million.
The statement went on to say: "However, the scope and objectives of the airport development plan remain unchanged."
Dan Rogerson, Lib-Dem MP for North Cornwall, said that he had been expecting EU bosses to approve the grant.
He added: "Clearly, this is great news for Cornwall because of the economic benefits to the county.
"Tourism will receive a boost as will business.
"It's important that Cornwall has a well functioning airport."
Malcolm Bell, chief executive at South West Tourism, said that the benefits of an improved airport would be far reaching: "Developing the airport is about raising the profile of Cornwall.
"Even if people don't use the airport, they expect a major tourism destination to have a decent airport.
"With our roads and rail infrastructure up to capacity, air routes are needed.
"We also need to open up the county to overseas visitors if we want to boost the local tourism economy." Mr Bell said that the business community would benefit from an increase in tourist passengers.
"It's the tourists who pay for the fuel – without them, business people would not have access to air routes because there are not enough of them to justify costs."
However, environmental campaigners last night voiced their anger over the extra funding for expansion saying it would lead to an increase in harmful carbon emissions.
Howard Balmer, spokesman for Risingtide Kernow, said: "This is absolute insanity.
"Cornwall Council has to stop these climate wrecking expansion plans.
"Climate change is upon us, making these moves a complete nonsense. The airport should be turned into allotments."
In early December last year, the old county council attracted stinging criticism after the hand-over from the military ended up in chaos.
Council bosses were in the process of formally taking over the adjacent RAF St Mawgan site.
But the Civil Aviation Authority refused to licence the new civilian-led operation because the air traffic control facilities were not ready.
As a result, the airfield was closed for three weeks because the council was unable to obtain an operating licence.
Newquay is now ranked as the fastest-growing airport in the UK.
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