avturboy, I agree with what you say. To save the runway for business and recreational GA requires vision. The real estate is worth far more as development land than as an airfield, but it's not as simple as that.
Consider high speed rail, as built extensively in most of mainland Europe and battling against nimbys (HS2) in UK; it will be unlikely to pay for itself though fares, but it will pay many times over in the incresed efficiency of business through increased rail capacity (currently overloaded). In other words, UK plc will reap the benfits in more jobs, more business, more prosperity.
The same applies to a GA business airfield in this region. London has many such airfields - Biggin Hill, Blackbush, White Waltham, Booker to name a few. Uniquely, the manchester / Liverpool connubation has only short, muddy, Barton, and anti-GA Manchester. Liverpool JL is too far from Manchester for business, and in any case is rapidly moving to the same anti-GA model as Manchester.
There is no other similar-sized connurbation in UK that lacks a business airfield. Here is a great opportunity to provide a catalyst for the economic growth of the Manchester / Liverpool corridor. Who could step in and make it happen?