DURHAM TEES VALLEY AIRPORT - 5

[SWBKCB]

I'm still not sure what is surprising about a former council owned company in which they still have a shareholding having councilors on the board?

Newcastle has three on their board and I'm pretty sure Manchester does also.

Like I've said before, if you're that bothered why not ask them directly?

[davidjohnson6]

Assuming Northbound is correct in his/her assertion about length of time on the board, there might be a case to ask why one particular councillor remains on the board for 8 years. 8 years of continued service would likely lead to the councillor in question becoming rather too chummy with the people from Peel and rather less likely to raise awkward questions at any airport board meetings on behalf of the council.

[LNIDA]

I think your looking for a smoking gun that isn't there........

THe one thing that having councillors on the board will have done is inject a rather large dose of reality into their thinking (councillors that is!), when they get to see the cost - v - revenue and unlike the local council they can't square the circle by just putting the council tax up i.e. charging customers more & more then they will understand that keeping the airport open is a major challenge, frankly I am amazed its still open.

[highwideandugly]

The plot thickens..

Beafer so true...I am amazed our intrepid news hacks havnt got wind of this and help us find a solution?

I am also amazed that that the CEO of Newcastle airport...may,might,does have a say in funding for our airport!!!!

[onion]

You also forget that Durham had a share of both MME and NCL. I know at the time they tended to be very unsupportive of MME. Conflicts of interest have been happening at MME for decades!

[SWBKCB]

Paranoia...

unlike the local council they can't square the circle by just putting the council tax up

Yeh right, that's how local authority funding works...

The question is HOW can someone on a private ltd company board decide they are going to ask for council money, and if they dont get the £4m then they will take shares off the councils, which they same councillors then decide to give the same company without a legal fight.

If you read the press articles linked below you'll see how this worked - all part of the original contract singed by the councils when they sold, which presumably would have been cleared by the legal departments of all the councils concerned.

I am also amazed that that the CEO of Newcastle airport...may,might,does have a say in funding for our airport!!!!

doesn't have a say in funding - NECC is purely a

"...specialist business support organisation representing the interests of its members on a regional, national and international basis."

i.e. talking shop/lunch club.

If you guys think there is a really a problem, do something about it rather than lurking on an anonymous forum. How about you:

1. Contact the relevant councils and ask them to explain themselves
2. Go to your councilor
3. Contact the press
Private Eye | Official Site - the UK's number one best-selling news and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop
4. Complain to the Local Government Ombudsman
Local Government Ombudsman ? Home

[SWBKCB]

Just because your mates down the pub don't know about it(!), doesn't mean it is anything new - it's been in the press over the years.

If you really think there is a problem, do something about it!

[DTVAirport]

The RGF bid has been turned down again.

[Beafer]

RGF bids

The bids who won.
£48m growth fund will get region moving (From The Northern Echo)

[No-More-Bullschit]

This shouldn't change anything, it certainly doesn't put the airports future in doubt like certain morons in the press are saying, the money requested by Peel is loose change to them they now need to do what they PROMISED and go ahead with this regardless.

[davidjohnson6]

If Peel decide that the costs of running a passenger airport are just too high - what are their options for redeveloping some (or all) of the land at DTV for alternate use ?

[DTVAirport]

They have next to no options, the deeds on the land state it can be only used for aviation and nothing else, plus many of the WWII-era buildings such as the hangars are listed and can't be demolished. They could close it, but couldn't really do much with it thereafter. I don't believe for one second they would close the airport - perhaps the terminal if nothing improves, but not the airport.

[Northbound A1]

MPs - how much are the DTV council directors paid?

MP's meet at DTV today for talks.

Press and public comments below.
One of the 2 Echo pages on DTV.
Talks to take place over future of airport (From The Northern Echo)

Gazette and public comments. How much are the DTV council directors paid?
Durham Tees Valley Airport misses out on Regional Growth Fund round four cash - Gazette Live

[andrewmcharlton]

All this caustic sniping and finger wagging is a bit tedious.

Presumably the conspiracy theorists have seen such things as the list of shareholders, classes of shares, shareholders agreements and commercial contracts? Of course not.

Some folks seem to assume that everyone is paid, not always true; that everyone has equal votes, not always true. Get the facts straight before accusing them of being the man on the grassy knoll !

[highwideandugly]

Square one..

Listened to a phone on on Radio Tees this morning(mike Parr) to put it into perspective...only one punter called in(a taxi driver) no one else...does that not tell us what the local populance(sic) thinks ?

Teesside could have an airport but due to a million reasons will always be a poor relation to Leeds and newcastle.

If Peel are serious they will put in their money...no delay..no excuses.. if they don't then a small light aviation field at its best will be the outcome.

Newcastle are the main focal point and locals will have no qualms about going 30 miles up the road for a superior(and cheaper) product.

PEEL over to you...no one else now..

[SWBKCB]

andrewmcharlton - spot on! But why let facts ruin a good yarn? Where's my tinfoil hat...

highwideandugly, agreed - I have no problem with Peel trying to get Govt money for their project, and as a commercial body they would be daft not to. I firmly believe that DTVA's future is to make the best use of what it's got, and to do so it needs to attract as a range of activities as possible - be interesting to see what Peel do next.

[Beafer]

Its turned into the usual political bun fight now.
Airport plans 'still worth fighting for' (From The Northern Echo)

I wonder how much the operating rates are for the airlines at NCL and DTV? Is it a large margin or is there another reason airlines are not coming to DTV?

Time for Peel to do something positive instead of asking for gov handouts and then blaming the government. They knew they were getting a bargain for £500,000.

[Northbound A1]

Airline conman Victor off on his hols.

Thought Peel might have signed airline conman Victor up for a job in their spin department as they did have a few meetings with him.

He's on a one way ticket to Nigeria now.
Airline conman Victor Bassey deported back to Nigeria (From The Northern Echo)

[Lancelot37]

Headline in 6 months time "New Nigerian Airline"

[N707ZS]

I always though Beafer was Victor!