https://democracy.cornwall.gov.uk/ie...Id=11540&Ver=4
has a the Minutes of the Council Meeting on 21st Sept 2022 where several members of the public asked a number of questions. The critcal ones follow-----------------------------
“I would like to start by thanking Mr Raymer for his question and being clear that Cornwall Council is not trying to force the closure of CAHC. Indeed, the Council has already extended the lease by 12 months in order for the Aviation Centre to find a new location.
However, Newquay Airport is an operational airport which is vital to the region’s connectivity to the UK.
The airport is currently subsidised by the Cornish taxpayer by over £3 million every year and we have a responsibility to minimise that figure. In order to achieve this, Cornwall Council is committed to develop the airport in a way which minimises this subsidy and continues to develop the site as a key part of Cornwall’s transport and business infrastructure.
The airport team have reviewed CAHC proposals to remain on the airport site in the context of the latest plans to develop the airport estate, minimise the Council’s subsidy and increase the economic benefit and high value employment opportunities for Cornwall. Against these criteria, the CAHC does not meet those objectives for sustainability.
We want to attract high paid aerospace jobs to an operational airport.”
“Thank you, Mrs Watkins, for your question. I don’t think that the Council has said that the Aviation Centre doesn’t attract visitors or that we want it to cease operating. However, it has no operational requirement to be part of the airport estate. It currently occupies 7,000 square feet of that operational space for a rate which is below the commercial value and a further 57,000 square feet free gratis. The lease the Aviation Centre signed seven years ago which included a disclaimer acknowledging the “no right of renewal” was clear when it would end, and the Council has continued to work to those contractual leases.”
“Please will Cornwall Council explain why it has not responded for 11 months to the Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre’s repeated requests to discuss the relocation proposals that they submitted at Cornwall Council’s request and no Council representative responded to their requests to visit their site to learn about their operation?”
The following response was provided by the Cabinet Member for Economy:
“In 2015 CAHC signed a disclaimer acknowledging there was no right of renewal when the lease expired. CAHC did not find a new wite within the original and clear timescale of the lease. However, in order to assist CAHC to find a new site the Council extended the lease by a further 12 months. The extension I still in place and will not expire until the end of March 2023 providing further time for CAHC to identify an alternative site.
A formal response to the CAHC proposals was made in August. This response was less that three weeks after CAHC actually signed their tenancy extension, meaning they could operate on the site with the appropriate licensing and leases in place.
The response to CAHC made clear that the proposals did not provide enough detail to evaluate or justify taxpayers subsidising them. There were nine proposals; six of them proposed staying on the airport estate and I have already explained why that does not represent value for money; one of them the CAHC itself considered, “not practical” and the other two involved moving to a nearby location. Airport staff investigated this option and the current landowner said it was not possible.
Airport management are well aware of the operations of CAHC. The Cornwall Council Service Director newly responsible for the airport already has a visit scheduled.
As I have already said the offer to submit a robust proposal is still in place and I will ensure that if a further proposal is made to relocate the Aviation Centre to a new location, it will be evaluated and replied to in a timely manner.”