First of all, Argyll and Bute Council do have a
very informative website.
Below are the contact emails for the people in power......
Nicol Stephen MSP - Minister for Transport
Patricia Ferguson MSP - Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport
Local Member for Argyll and Bute (Scottish Parliament) - George Lyon MSP
(parliament address) -
[email protected]
(local office) -
[email protected]
Local Member for Argyll and Bute(Westminster Parliament) - Alan Reid MP
James McLellan - (Chief Executive)
Allan Macaskill - Leader Argyll & Bute Council (also a Director of Argyll and the Islands Enterprise)
Robin Banks- Deputy Leader Argyll & Bute Council
(The Council Leader and his Deputy are the two elected members who make the decision on whether or not to put this issue into the public domain.)
Neil Brown - Argyll and Bute Council Area Transport Manager (resp. for airport)
Susan Mair - Head of Legal Services - Argyll and Bute Council
Elaine Robertson - Local councillor for the airport.
Here is the Council News Release (2004) on their plans. Interesting that they are silent on their potential plans to pass this over to HIAL. I wonder why?
If you want a looooong and detailed read on the Council Transport strategy, it is laid out in this document (PDF required).
"Access the Future" - specific policy on airports can be found (Section 6.3 Page40). It may be a few years old (2000?), but seems to outline their overall game plan. Put the kettle on, grab some Jammy Dodgers
and see if you can find within the document the Council's trendy references to 'holistic approaches' and 'best value' which might just be the kind of 'customer friendly' language that they understand. See if you can relate any of it into your arguments against a proposed HIAL handover/takeover and lack of competitive tendering
Please also think how is it going to effect YOUR flying. HIAL are renowned for their lack of weekend openings and total lack of flexibility. eg. Campbeltown is closed ar weekends, 4 hrs notice is required at Benpeculiar, and HIAL even try and insist that you are not allowed to land on the beach at Barra (which is public property when the airfield closes) out of hours. I'd be happy to test them in court on that one.
In short. HIAL may have been the right operators for protecting a public service ethos in the 1980s, but now that rapid development of air travel is with us, Scotland and the highlands are being left behind.
True, a lot of this is due to over-restrictive practices tailored by the CAA for a 'British' mainland, and excessive licensing requirements for minimal movements, together with the lovely financial burden of a PFI built terminal at Inverness. But, it ain't good for GA and peripheral aviation, away from the Heathrows and Manchesters.
HIAL do seem to be developing an anti-GA stance (knocking down the light aircraft hangar at Inverness to build ... a car park) and seem to be falling into that category of airport (Dundee, Newcastle and Glasgow springs to mind) which seems to think it is as busy and important as Heathrow, so "let's screw the small guys" and force them out, rather than accommodate.
This proposal to 'give' the airport to HIAL should have been put out to some form of public consultation. Which it has not. Very doubtful process, and makes you wonder why ..... ?
Despite what the Scottish Executive emails say, any transfer to HIAL MUST be approved by Nicol Stephen and they (the Scottish Executive)would have to find the money from YOU (the taxpayer). How do they know it is best value.
I have no problem with investing money and upgrading strips, but it is the possible ownership change which is a major issue. How have Ireland fared ? Superb strip upgrades for example at the Aran Islands .... how GA friendly are they ?
Local flyers and regulars around Oban are particularly doubtful about any long-term viability of proposed scheduled services and fear the council is stoking up unrealistic expectations. The locals fear that any future failure (say in 5 years time) would provide a very convenient excuse to sell the airfield off for very profitable housing developments.
Unlikely ? Maybe you don't know enough of the deeply democraticway our councils work in Scotland.
I believe it is the Strategic Policy Committee at Argyll and Bute Council who will make the decision.
Get writing please !