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Perhaps the Government could help out the SW by scrapping APD
yes 2 taxes here
the Govt. APD and the NQY council ADF (local fee)
its quite possible that BOTH bodies could temporarily stop both of those fees to get people going again on their journeys and encourage tourists that the SW is #openforbusiness
the Govt. APD and the NQY council ADF (local fee)
its quite possible that BOTH bodies could temporarily stop both of those fees to get people going again on their journeys and encourage tourists that the SW is #openforbusiness
If HMRC suspend APD at Newquay, they risk setting some sort of precedent. Are they prepared to do that ?
Suppose that there are minor floods on the rail line near Durham in 2016 - would there be calls to suspend APD at Newcastle to show the North East is open for business ?
How many tourists visit Cornwall in February by train ? Suspect that apart from half term crowd visiting grandparents by car, it's not that many and real impact on tourism is modest. Of course if works are still outstanding by April it's a different story entirely
Suppose that there are minor floods on the rail line near Durham in 2016 - would there be calls to suspend APD at Newcastle to show the North East is open for business ?
How many tourists visit Cornwall in February by train ? Suspect that apart from half term crowd visiting grandparents by car, it's not that many and real impact on tourism is modest. Of course if works are still outstanding by April it's a different story entirely
davidjohnson
in reality this is a state of emergency for the west country - it is hardly minor as you suggest in a comparison
so therefore it is a precedent to enable quick recovery and people to get to down there for their commerce,business's, holidays and relatives by currently the ONLY means of direct public travel to the West apart from national express coaches
plus tourism is not just july and august i can assure you-
i think everyone needs to stop the pontificating and lots of hand wringing and just have a ''yes - we can do this'' attitude
yes??
in reality this is a state of emergency for the west country - it is hardly minor as you suggest in a comparison
so therefore it is a precedent to enable quick recovery and people to get to down there for their commerce,business's, holidays and relatives by currently the ONLY means of direct public travel to the West apart from national express coaches
plus tourism is not just july and august i can assure you-
i think everyone needs to stop the pontificating and lots of hand wringing and just have a ''yes - we can do this'' attitude
yes??
Last edited by rog747; 9th Feb 2014 at 11:30.
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HMRC must have worked out how much suspending APD on one leg of a return domestic flight in the UK would cost them and save airlines? Flybe rightly points out it penalises the regions (thought they would, it does), and yet probably simply because of the cost to the Treasury. I'd speculate it would be a gain overall? Think of the relative savings on LHR-LBA or LGW-NQY vs the train without £13 on one of the legs. Of course the carrier would absorb some of the saving but with significant coach/train competition (as exists on such routes) I suspect it makes a fairly compelling argument. Not to the Treasury, of course, but...
currently NO trains at all west of Yeovil nor south of Bristol and about a couple of coaches a day by national express into Cornwall from London and the north -
i know FGW are doing what they can - 100's of buses being placed down there for rail replacement and there is a fleet of trapped trains on the west side of Dawlish to operate a service between PNZ - PLYM and newton Abbott - but the signalling has had to be be re-jigged due severance form the EXT control box.
this is not a train set.
this is a logistical challenge for network rail and FGW trains - which are only running to Bristol Parkway then you have to get on a bus to go southwards UFN.
the SWT trains line to EXT from Waterloo is now closed and severed at Crewkerne due a land slide (will beclosed for a week or so)
are we calling this minor?
i know FGW are doing what they can - 100's of buses being placed down there for rail replacement and there is a fleet of trapped trains on the west side of Dawlish to operate a service between PNZ - PLYM and newton Abbott - but the signalling has had to be be re-jigged due severance form the EXT control box.
this is not a train set.
this is a logistical challenge for network rail and FGW trains - which are only running to Bristol Parkway then you have to get on a bus to go southwards UFN.
the SWT trains line to EXT from Waterloo is now closed and severed at Crewkerne due a land slide (will beclosed for a week or so)
are we calling this minor?
I regularly use the trains in Cornwall for work; long distance trains, and particularly those to/from Paddington, pick up and drop off a lot of people burdened with suitcases as they travel through the county, even at this time of year.
Yes, had the seawall at Dawlish crumbled in the last week of school in July, it would be a much bigger catastrophe, but even at this time of year it is not by any stretch of the imagination a minor event. And I cannot see it being repaired within six weeks, so if you were hoping to travel down by train for the Easter hols,then perhaps you ought to be looking at alternatives.
The tourism industry is going to take a big hit over the next couple of months for sure, and even after it is repaired a lot of people who might have come to the south west for a week may well choose to go elsewhere because the area will be perceived as being in ruins. Personally speaking I own a shop in Truro, and though I'm not dependent on tourists, I'm always grateful for the extra revenue they generate, which I factor in to my expectations. Other traders I know are bricking themselves, and with good cause.
Anyway, back on topic...
Yes, had the seawall at Dawlish crumbled in the last week of school in July, it would be a much bigger catastrophe, but even at this time of year it is not by any stretch of the imagination a minor event. And I cannot see it being repaired within six weeks, so if you were hoping to travel down by train for the Easter hols,then perhaps you ought to be looking at alternatives.
The tourism industry is going to take a big hit over the next couple of months for sure, and even after it is repaired a lot of people who might have come to the south west for a week may well choose to go elsewhere because the area will be perceived as being in ruins. Personally speaking I own a shop in Truro, and though I'm not dependent on tourists, I'm always grateful for the extra revenue they generate, which I factor in to my expectations. Other traders I know are bricking themselves, and with good cause.
Anyway, back on topic...
Last edited by Martin the Martian; 9th Feb 2014 at 11:54. Reason: grammar
Minor point about Crewkerne - line between Waterloo and Exeter is now open again
HMRC absolutely hate the idea of any sort of suspension of tax in any circumstance - mainly because they are terrified that once they make a clear public exception in one place, then people start making claims that taxes should be suspended elsewhere. The only reason HMRC give way, is when a High Court judge tells them to do so - and a big court case will take much longer than the time it takes to repair the line at Dawlish.
For this reason, unless the Chancellor issues an explicit order, I doubt anything is going to happen on APD suspension.
Yes, people in Cornwall are genuinely being given pain, but some of what's being said by politicians is added political spin. Business and day-to-day affairs are being hit hard, but talking about the impact on tourism to an area which emphasies its rural nature in February is less than clear cut.
HMRC absolutely hate the idea of any sort of suspension of tax in any circumstance - mainly because they are terrified that once they make a clear public exception in one place, then people start making claims that taxes should be suspended elsewhere. The only reason HMRC give way, is when a High Court judge tells them to do so - and a big court case will take much longer than the time it takes to repair the line at Dawlish.
For this reason, unless the Chancellor issues an explicit order, I doubt anything is going to happen on APD suspension.
Yes, people in Cornwall are genuinely being given pain, but some of what's being said by politicians is added political spin. Business and day-to-day affairs are being hit hard, but talking about the impact on tourism to an area which emphasies its rural nature in February is less than clear cut.
well said martin
and yes David thankfully Network Rail have fixed up Crewkerne in amazing quick time -
point taken re HMRC and taxes but this is where maybe the Chancellor will step in and show some balls?
The Plymouth fathers and Kernow fathers have long heeded to HM Govt that if their one and only rail line is breached then woe be tide them lol
this is going to be interesting BUT i have seen amazingly quick responses in many aspects so far
and yes David thankfully Network Rail have fixed up Crewkerne in amazing quick time -
point taken re HMRC and taxes but this is where maybe the Chancellor will step in and show some balls?
The Plymouth fathers and Kernow fathers have long heeded to HM Govt that if their one and only rail line is breached then woe be tide them lol
this is going to be interesting BUT i have seen amazingly quick responses in many aspects so far
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I heard on TV early this morning a government spokesman saying the government has 'Laid on extra flights and larger aircraft' to the affected area's. This was in response to the questions regarding the rail situation.
Does anyone know what he was on about as the interview seemed to be pulled shortly afterwards.
Does anyone know what he was on about as the interview seemed to be pulled shortly afterwards.
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The E195 isn't actually doing the extra flights. The E195 is doing the current schedule and the current based Q400 is operating the extra flights. Who knows whether it is a current parked 195 or a 195 that is being mothballed. I think that's just semantics.
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Would have thought it an ideal time for Flybe to 'press to test' the recently (re)announced Newquay-Southend route; good exposure of the future service to the community, good PR, good links to Central London and less hassle with slots and costs at Gatwick I would have thought.
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Perhaps the Government could help out the SW by scrapping APD to/from NQY until such time that people have an alternative means of transport, the whole idea behind APD was meant to be environmental and would save £25 return, just a thought ?
Good idea in fact but go one step further and scrap APD entirely or reduce it to a just a few quid on long haul.
Have always said that we need a good domestic air network, in addition to road and rail to provide connectivity (to the world) and choice, but it appears we need it to provide resiliance as well.
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My son is heading up to Gatwick from Newquay this week on the Flybe service, travelling on business. He would normally go by train but of course that's not an option for the next few weeks at least. Tourism numbers maybe low at this time of the year but there is still a need to get in to and out of Cornwall on business .
I spent some hours a few weeks ago delayed at Newquay awaiting a flight to St.Mary's on a very stormy day. In this period just one Flybe flight departed yet there seemed to be a never ending stream of staff wandering around all looking very public sector with their bits of paper they mostly seemed to be carting around. As a Cornish community charge payer I tried hard to avoid thinking of the three and a half million pounds or so loss the airport is running up each year and wondered how this look if a private sector operator took over - but who would want it .
We need the airport but on an ongoing basis - can we afford it...........
I spent some hours a few weeks ago delayed at Newquay awaiting a flight to St.Mary's on a very stormy day. In this period just one Flybe flight departed yet there seemed to be a never ending stream of staff wandering around all looking very public sector with their bits of paper they mostly seemed to be carting around. As a Cornish community charge payer I tried hard to avoid thinking of the three and a half million pounds or so loss the airport is running up each year and wondered how this look if a private sector operator took over - but who would want it .
We need the airport but on an ongoing basis - can we afford it...........
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Excellent post non emmett, we returned from Vancouver last week and drove from LHR with a hire car. Two people plus lots of luggage (80kgs plus). Journey time under 5 hours and cost less than £100. Our neighbour who commutes between her home in London and here took the train to Exeter, taxi to Plymouth then train to Truro and another taxi - 10 hours in total
As we have said before, yes the airport is a valuable part of the community but we cannot continue to pour £3 million a year into it as local taxpayers hence its need to diversify which I believe the powers that be are attempting to do.
The loss of the rail line may be a short term boost for Newquay but an election is looming next year and I suspect the Government will announce a new rail line that may be faster and more direct than we have now alongside further road improvements. This will of course take years to do but long term may weaken the case for Newquay Airport even further.
In an ideal World I would like to see one carefully located airport that would replace Newquay, Exeter, Plymouth and even Bristol with proper ground connections enhancing existing and adding new rail lines and roads in the area.
We have made do and mended for too many years, even if such a mega airport was agreed today this would probably not happen in my lifetime but any long term strategy might stop us spending £3million a year in the short term when the site could be more economically run accepting it will always have limited services and developing and adding other on site businesses.
As we have said before, yes the airport is a valuable part of the community but we cannot continue to pour £3 million a year into it as local taxpayers hence its need to diversify which I believe the powers that be are attempting to do.
The loss of the rail line may be a short term boost for Newquay but an election is looming next year and I suspect the Government will announce a new rail line that may be faster and more direct than we have now alongside further road improvements. This will of course take years to do but long term may weaken the case for Newquay Airport even further.
In an ideal World I would like to see one carefully located airport that would replace Newquay, Exeter, Plymouth and even Bristol with proper ground connections enhancing existing and adding new rail lines and roads in the area.
We have made do and mended for too many years, even if such a mega airport was agreed today this would probably not happen in my lifetime but any long term strategy might stop us spending £3million a year in the short term when the site could be more economically run accepting it will always have limited services and developing and adding other on site businesses.