Cllr Sue Jeffrey, leader of Redcar and Cleveland Council, wanted to see the plan tested properly - with experts from Transport for the North, Peel and the aviation industry offering their opinions. The Labour leader added: "
As far as we know this particular purchase of £40m is not going to buy us any new flights, it's not going to buy us any greater passenger numbers, it's not going upgrade the airport infrastructure and it's not going to provide any improvements to road and rail links - all it's going to do is buy land and buildings."
Exchanges were heated at times on Thursday as councillors mulled over what information they'd gleaned so far.
Cllr Matt Vickers, leader of
Stockton Council Conservatives, hit out at Cllr Jeffrey for calling the airport deal a "vanity project" ahead of the announcement. "
It seems to me to be the only thing locally the Labour party don't want to nationalise," he added.