Our airport deserves one last decent effort
I WAS very disappointed after reading the results of the recent council meeting regarding the future of the airport. It seems after all the chat, the best we can hope for is a letter to David Cameron asking for help. I must be cynical as it appears to me Tudor Evans is simply passing the buck and when Mr Cameron replies and says 'no, sorry' Mr Evans can then say 'well I tried'.
Sorry but this is not even close to being good enough. I heard of the bickering between Labour and Tory members, the fact is both sides are to blame. Various councillors made a number of comments, some I feel rather enlightened, but lost to the wind.
If Plymouth is serious about having an airport it needs the full and financial backing of the city council. They do have the resources, it's a matter of how those are spent.
It is true I don't fully understand the legal issues surrounding the airport, but then we should have had that explained clearly, so far that has been lacking. Would it be impossible for the freeholder of the land to take it back from the Sutton Group and give it to Viable at a peppercorn rate? As I understand it Viable has pretty much everything else in place.
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Is the land really protected for nine years because I've heard that can quite easily change?
Sadly I suspect the airport will never see planes using its runways again. The political will simply isn't there in reality.
The airport deserves one last decent effort to make it work and if that failed I'd be the first to say 'okay' time to let it lie, but I cannot see that chance being given, the council simply are too scared to act decisively on this matter.
STUART MUNNERY
Via email
Comments
by Watawally
Sunday, October 07 2012, 9:55AM
“Plymouth well and truly needs its airport, open since the 1930's and closed in the end of 2011.
It says it all, the council (Labour) can't be bothered to run it and allow the greedy leaseholder Sutton Harbour Group to run it, but their hands I can see rubbing with glee; "Let's close the airport and try and reason with the council to build more houses and shops, student accomodation - to make ourselves more money yummy!"
This is how I see it!
I would love to see the airport re-open and will be over the moon if it ever did.
But please be aware; it is Sutton Harbour who don't care about the citizens of Plymouth and only care about themselves, it all boils down to money.
If we had decent people running this city then that airport would indeed still be open today. Not dipsticks such as Tudor Evans (Lab) and former council leader (Con) Vivien Pengelly, who appear to not give a stuff about anyone. These two people basically are thickos aswell as gullible.”
by blogtodi
Saturday, October 06 2012, 3:29PM
“Gosh! The writing was on the wall even back in 2000?”
by CharlieDodd
Saturday, October 06 2012, 2:14PM
“..Stuart said- "It is true I don't fully understand the legal issues surrounding the airport, but then we should have had that explained clearly, so far that has been lacking"..
I've tipped off BBCTV's Panorama to investigate the whole sorry mess.
Evans's Labour-led council gave SHH a real sweetheart deal on the land back in 2000, with an astonishing "Armageddon clause" in the lease apparently allowing them to sell it off for development should the airport lose money.”