Agenda item

PLYMOUTH CITY AIRPORT PETITION

To receive and debate a petition submitted by Mrs Lynn Fearon on 23 August 2012 which states ‘Plymouth City Airport is a vital hub for the South West, but it is due to close, like so many other UK airports, to satisfy property developers. We need flexibility as well as investment in our transport infrastructure. Regional airports offer much greater flexibility than trains for both domestic and international travel. With investment and the right management, Plymouth City Airport would be profitable. The state should take ownership.’

Minutes:

Mrs Bridgeman, organiser of the Plymouth City Airport petition, attended the meeting to present the petition as follows:

 

‘Plymouth City Airport is a vital hub for the South West, but it is due to close, like so many other UK airports, to satisfy property developers. We need flexibility as well as investment in our transport infrastructure. Regional airports offer much greater flexibility than trains for both domestic and international travel. With investment and the right management, Plymouth City Airport would be profitable. The state should take ownership.’

 

Mrs Bridgeman, as part of her presentation, informed councillors that –

 

(a)   

over 37,000 local residents signed the petition, which was a clear indication of how important the airport was for the city and residents of the city;

 

(b)   

having an airport was vitally important to the city in dealing with the global financial crisis and ensuring future investment in the city;

 

(c)   

Plymouth already suffered from poor transport links and the airport should be protected at all costs from development for short term financial gain.

 

In response to the petition, Councillor Evans (Leader) moved the following motion –

 

“Plymouth City Council firmly believes that the residents and business of Plymouth deserve fast, efficient and reliable transport links with the rest of the country and beyond in order for Plymouth to prosper and for its residents to enjoy the freedom of movement enjoyed by most other cities of our size in the UK. We therefore call on the Prime Minister and the Secretaries of State for Transport and Business Innovation and Skills to take action which would result in Plymouth Airport becoming a national asset providing a reliable and extensive commercial air network for the benefit of local residents and businesses.

 

We recognise that it is not possible to protect the airport land for ever, but we will use our planning powers to protect the airport from development for as long as legally possible.

 

We call on all Plymouth politicians inside and outside this Chamber to support this resolution as well as the people of Plymouth and the Herald. We wish to demonstrate to Government the deeply felt concerns of Plymouth residents and the support they feel for Plymouth City Airport and call upon the Herald to organise a campaign to encourage residents, employees and businesses to join me in writing to the Prime Minister to express their support for what I have proposed today.”

 

The motion was seconded by Councillor Lowry (Cabinet Member for Finance).

 

During the debate the issues raised included –

 

(d)   

Sutton Harbour Holdings took over the airport in 2000 after being granted a 150 year lease;

 

(e)   

at present the airport was protected from housing development as part of the Core Strategy, however, this protection, currently until 2021, could be amended when the Core Strategy was replaced by the Plymouth Plan;

 

(f)    

the Council held the freehold of the airport land and given the citizens of Plymouth, (37,000 signatures), want it to remain an airport, the Council should do all it can to protect this land for the long term future;

 

(g)   

the Plymouth Plan could have a clause inserted protecting the airport for a further period; the Plan would be put out for consultation in the near future, and members of the public were urged to respond accordingly;

 

(h)   

it was disappointing that Sutton Harbour Holdings had not allowed Derriford Hospital or Flag Officer Sea Training to use these facilities;

 

(i)    

the decision to close the airport in 2011 was a regrettable decision, but one that was necessary due to Sutton Harbour Holdings proving, following extensive studies, that the airport was no longer commercially viable;

 

(j)    

the Council was committed to working on the basis that the land would remain useable for an airport until every possible opportunity had been exhausted;

 

(k)   

in order to ensure that any airport operator would be able to run the airport as a commercially viable business, the Council had devised five tests for potential operators;

 

(l)    

the Council was committed to better transport and connectivity, and it was hoped that the state could help with this matter, as that was the request of the citizens of Plymouth in signing the petition.

 

Councillor Evans summed up and the motion was put to the vote and declared carried.

 

(Councillors Mrs Dolan, Drean and Fox declared a Personal Interest in the above item).

 

(Councillors Damerell, Mrs Leaves, Martin Leaves, Dr Mahony and John Smith left the meeting, having declared a disclosable pecuniary interest or prejudicial interest and did not take part in the discussion of this item).

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