Let's have a heated debate...
Firstly, it's fantastic to see so many views on Welshpool. This to me only means one thing, that we're all happy that the development will be the right thing for the area - whichever way it gets there.
WWW - I'm not having a go, as I know you'll realise.
But your instant dismissal of Welshpool and its industry is, to my mind, a bit unfair. Everyone knows that one of the main reasons for Welshpool's development was CT - they were in a good position to hold the DBRW and the Council over a barrel over the place - but as a result they have committed to the area and are now one of the largest employers in the area.
In my time I can remember charter flights by piston twins and the like bringing business into the area, and likewise taking business people out to meetings. Sure, they weren't GIV's or Challengers, but they were providing a service which wouldn't have been there if the airport hadn't been there.
You know my line of work and you'd be surprised at the volume of charter work that we undertake to Wales - all over. Haverfordwest is one of the most popular business destinations of all places. Why? Because of heavy investment (one of the Objective Funding areas) by the Assembly. For Mid-Wales we have to go to Shawbury - now your dual carriageway would help speed them from there into the heart of Mid-Wales but businesses don't work that way! If the drive from the airport is longer than the flight, then they don't go!
That company in Buttington, Fisher Guage(?), had huge talks with the (at that time) DBRW about increasing the airport to cope with the Business Jets of their American owners. Sadly that coincided with the merging of the DBRW with the WDA - and the Airport became a "promise" - which until now has not happened. The fact that the place hasn't developed for business traffic (and that really was its main aim whatever you might think) is directly related to the operational nature of the place. You honestly think that no development money has been available since 1991?! As Bladeslapper says, Welshpool has a number of highly technological industries. These benefit from the added competitivness that low cost of living can bring, whether you deem that to be exploitation or not, it's a fact.
Also, thanks to developments such as the Assembly (now there's something we can argue about!) there is more money in the pot for such wonders as Air Links in Wales - you only have to look at countries such as Germany to see the value that such services can bring to deprived areas - and a fully serviceable airport is the one thing that would mean Mid-Wales would be excluded. And we've all seen far too much of Mid-Wales being excluded in the past. Think how bloody long it took to get the roundabout!
No El, flying school owners are never popular. Yes, we can all name most of them! OK, Pool brought hotel and beer money investment to the area and I'm sure Moat Farm are saddened that it's closed. But lets go back and think of the people, and the aircraft, that got p*ssed off and left - one big spending golfing King Air operator springs to mind immediately - and he subsequently invested heavily in infrastructure at Sleap and that was all over rent that Pool wanted to charge.
Then they downgraded the fire cover to Special Cat - effectively killing off any hopes of a charter operator in anything other than a Seneca operating. That doesn't sit comfortably with my ideas of encouraging business use.
Pool got 10 years of a bloody good deal at Welshpool. Low ground rent and virtually no operating charges. It's not too difficult to see how they could offer such cheap prices. You can say that the flying school kept 10 people directly and maybe 30 people indirectly employed. CT employ over 100. A longer runway, more business traffic - only one more employer. Who knows.
Yep, people did laugh at the Flying School when it started, but then that's the mentality wherever you go - whether it's the middle of Wales or the middle of London. I can remember during the first Air Race over the phone that this guy was on his way round with his shotgun to polish us all off! - just as the aviation community will argue over what's best for the airport, the local community will argue whether the airport or a green field would be better for the local community. At least we're all agreed on that one.
See that coming over there? That's the future that is...!