Council spent airport sale cash on roads;
Money set aside by Blackpool Council to safeguard the future of the airport following its sale was spent on projects including roads and the Illuminations.
The loss-making airport is set to close to commercial flights next week after present owner Balfour Beatty failed to find a buyer.
The council received £6.462m from the sale in 2004, and initially set the full sum aside in case it was a commercial flop, and it was forced to step in financially.
But, by 2007, with passenger numbers increasing, town hall chiefs felt confident enough to release some of the cash for other projects.
At the time the Tories, who were in opposition, criticised the move and warned money should still be kept in reserve.
Current Conservative group leader Coun Tony Williams said: The council had set aside airport money in an escrow fund (deposit fund) 10 years ago, for situations such as this.
WHERE THE MONEY WENT
£1.7m highways
£275,000 tramway
£206,000 Illuminations
£180,000 CCTV
£1m Central Corridor
£100,000 Car park machines
£358,000 on small schemes, each less than £100,000
The council has allocated the remaining £2.5m to the Tyldesley Road/Rigby Road housing development.
Council spent airport sale cash on roads - Blackpool Gazette