DTV :I have been very reliably informed that Peel have spent absolute zero on MME. The new access road was funded by One North East, and the new terminal front was funded by the airport itself. Whether Peel funds the new terminal, cargo village, hotels and business centre etc which have just been approved, remains to be seen, I doubt the airport itself has the finances to fund it.
Peel Airport division paid for the new terminal front and the car park, the rest is as you correctly say One North East.The Highways Agency will fund the Long Newton Interchange. Given the size of Peel Holdings and their portfolio,what has been committed to Teesside is loose change.Those are facts and are in the public domain. It is a fact also that Stocktons housing needs will increase dramatically in the next 20 years and a new site is needed.
Peel is a property development company (Trafford Park) first and foremost, Airports are just a "hobby".Any big investment by this company will be in the property development market and not in aviation.Thats why the current South side proposal is for 3M sq.Ft of unspecified industrial floorspace and is not necessarily aviation related.
I have been a big supporter of Teesside since the the cold war days of the Lightning squadrons I also learned to fly there, but I'm afraid the day that Peel took an interest the writing was all over the side of hangar 3 in 10ft high flourescent letters!!!!!
And the pax stats of course are not helping....nor is Globespans pratting around with its timetables