Barnaby the Bear & bad bear
SEN has an NDB, SEN has radar and SEN also has ILS. I guess you forgot about the last item.
Stobart's plans for CAX include strengthening/resurfacing the existing runway, so the current weight limit for ATMs will be lifted. This will result in Q400/ATR capability which will be more than sufficient to establish scheduled services. The AMS will quite likely be operated as a one-stop, through flight via SEN which should ensure its viability and once SEN's rail station is open it will offer transit times from touchdown to arrival in the City or Docklands faster than either STN or LTN.
goatface
You underestimate the strength of a Section 106 Agreement. It becomes an element of the planning consent and any breach of it would nullify the consent. There is no way that Stobart could just ignore its requirements. I also understand that the runway and terminal work will not cost anything like £23 million now as a newly built hangar will be finished as the terminal building and Stobart Rail will do the runway work, thus keeping it all in-house.
Regardless of any scepticism shown by recent posts, developing CAX in this way and linking it to the developments at SEN to which Stobart are also committed, makes good economic sense. I believe the work will go ahead and that a limited number of scheduled services will be available from CAX within the next 18 months. The fact that Andrew Tinkler has said this is what he wants to see is not the least of the reasons why I believe it will happen - he is not known for backing away from commitments made.