CAHC Closure - More Ac Losses?
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CAHC Closure - More Ac Losses?
Sad news from the deep South, Cornwall Council have forced the closure of Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre.
It seems to have been on the cards for a while, lets hope some of the Ac can be moved!
It seems to have been on the cards for a while, lets hope some of the Ac can be moved!
Statement from the directors and management:
** CORNWALL AVIATION HERITAGE CENTRE TO CLOSE FROM 31ST OCTOBER 2022 **
It is with heavy hearts and dismay that we can confirm that we are set to close permanently following Cornwall Council's decision to no longer support our museum and therefore evict us from our site without viable alternatives being offered.
The Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre is a unique, highly successful, interactive aerospace visitor centre and education hub based at Cornwall Airport, near to the new Spaceport Cornwall.
CAHC was created by local people, is privately funded, pays commercial rents to Cornwall Council and is becoming nationally recognised as an aerospace site of excellence, yet Cornwall Council have failed to recognise the cultural & heritage value of our museum.
The Directors and Management of CAHC
PETITION HERE: https://www.change.org/p/save-cornwa...eritage-centre
It is with heavy hearts and dismay that we can confirm that we are set to close permanently following Cornwall Council's decision to no longer support our museum and therefore evict us from our site without viable alternatives being offered.
The Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre is a unique, highly successful, interactive aerospace visitor centre and education hub based at Cornwall Airport, near to the new Spaceport Cornwall.
CAHC was created by local people, is privately funded, pays commercial rents to Cornwall Council and is becoming nationally recognised as an aerospace site of excellence, yet Cornwall Council have failed to recognise the cultural & heritage value of our museum.
- The Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre (‘CAHC’) is a unique, popular, growing, tourism, heritage and education centre.
- Situated at Cornwall Airport near to the new Spaceport project, it is locally owned and operates with no support from Cornwall Council who, as owners of Cornwall Airport, are its landlords.
- For 7 years CAHC’s owners, staff and volunteers have worked night and day to create something truly unique and very special for Cornwall. The result is an award-winning, top-rated visitor destination and major aerospace/STEM education centre with industry and education collaborations within and outside Cornwall.
- Cornwall Council have terminated CAHC’s lease and given a deadline to vacate the site by 31/3/23.
- With 20+ airframes of all sizes and thousands of exhibits, suitable alternative locations are few and need to be at or adjacent to Cornwall Airport and costs of relocation would cost hundreds of thousands.
- Cornwall Council committed to assist CAHC to relocate their operation but have since refused to make good on these commitments. For more than 10 months the Council have refused to even discuss relocation proposals and funding sources.
- With no options for relocation and with Cornwall Council refusing to help, the Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre, the only aerospace museum in Cornwall, Devon and Dorset will have to close forever.
- All of this amazing amenity and opportunity will be lost. Jobs will be destroyed. Valuable and historic aircraft of all sizes will have to be scrapped because of the prohibitive cost of road transport. The opportunity to inspire and educate Cornwall’s future generations will be lost. 60 dedicated veteran and retired volunteers will lose a vital part of their lives.
- Cornwall Council should be welcoming this unparalleled opportunity for Cornwall and, as a crucial part of the Levelling Up agenda, the Council should be encouraging and nurturing the Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre in its bid to provide the County with a National quality aerospace destination and centre for learning – at no cost to the County. Instead Cornwall Council is destroying it.
The Directors and Management of CAHC
PETITION HERE: https://www.change.org/p/save-cornwa...eritage-centre
How? It's a decision that's been made by Cornwall Council and nothing to do with the PM, or any other MP.
I should be fairly close to St Mawgan in the next few weeks so I'll make a point of visiting, having not been there since it first opened, briefly, as Air Atlantique.
I should be fairly close to St Mawgan in the next few weeks so I'll make a point of visiting, having not been there since it first opened, briefly, as Air Atlantique.
Much though we might not like it, some perspective is required here: politicians have many, many more important issues on their plates and the closure of an aviation museum probably wouldn't register with any of them. I'd be rather annoyed if it did.
It looks like there's more to this than the museum are letting on...
A day after the shock announcement of another museum shutting down in Cornwall, the council has clarified its position as the owner of its premises. Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre (CAHC) in Newquay announced yesterday (Wednesday, August 31) that it would be closing down after the council let its lease end.
The museum, education centre and tourist attraction sits in land belonging to Cornwall Airport Newquay, which is owned by Cornwall Council.
CAHC has existed on the site for seven years and is mostly volunteer run.
Beloved by many in the county and beyond, thousands of whom have already called for its protection from closure, the museum contains hundreds of model planes, as well as some decommissioned aircraft.
The museum said in a statement yesterday that the centre's lease has been pulled by the council.
As well as this, CAHC claimed the council had failed to make good on a promise to help it relocate.
See it's full heartfelt announcement here.Cornwall Council, however, has since clarified its position - and did not cut off the lease.
A spokesperson said: "Newquay airport is an operational airport which is vital to the region's connectivity to the UK.
It is currently subsidised by the Cornish taxpayer and Cornwall Council is committed to develop the airport in a way which minimises this subsidy and continues to develop the site as a key part of Cornwall’s transport and business infrastructure.
"As part of this work, the council is reviewing the use of the land at the airport site to ensure the taxpayer is getting the maximum value for money from it and to increase the economic benefit and professional employment opportunities for Cornwall.
"Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre (CAHC) has been a tenant at Newquay Airport since 2015.
They signed a disclaimer at that point acknowledging there was no right of renewal when its lease expired in 2021.
However, in order to assist the centre to find a new site, the Council extended the lease by a further 12 months.
"Cornwall Council and Cornwall Airport Newquay are not responsible for the operation of a private business and securing a site on which to operate is the responsibility of the management of the centre.
"Cornwall Council has made it clear to CAHC that we will consider assisting them to move to a new location when a credible, costed and deliverable proposal has been developed.
However, this remains the responsibility of the centre."
The museum, education centre and tourist attraction sits in land belonging to Cornwall Airport Newquay, which is owned by Cornwall Council.
CAHC has existed on the site for seven years and is mostly volunteer run.
Beloved by many in the county and beyond, thousands of whom have already called for its protection from closure, the museum contains hundreds of model planes, as well as some decommissioned aircraft.
The museum said in a statement yesterday that the centre's lease has been pulled by the council.
As well as this, CAHC claimed the council had failed to make good on a promise to help it relocate.
See it's full heartfelt announcement here.Cornwall Council, however, has since clarified its position - and did not cut off the lease.
A spokesperson said: "Newquay airport is an operational airport which is vital to the region's connectivity to the UK.
It is currently subsidised by the Cornish taxpayer and Cornwall Council is committed to develop the airport in a way which minimises this subsidy and continues to develop the site as a key part of Cornwall’s transport and business infrastructure.
"As part of this work, the council is reviewing the use of the land at the airport site to ensure the taxpayer is getting the maximum value for money from it and to increase the economic benefit and professional employment opportunities for Cornwall.
"Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre (CAHC) has been a tenant at Newquay Airport since 2015.
They signed a disclaimer at that point acknowledging there was no right of renewal when its lease expired in 2021.
However, in order to assist the centre to find a new site, the Council extended the lease by a further 12 months.
"Cornwall Council and Cornwall Airport Newquay are not responsible for the operation of a private business and securing a site on which to operate is the responsibility of the management of the centre.
"Cornwall Council has made it clear to CAHC that we will consider assisting them to move to a new location when a credible, costed and deliverable proposal has been developed.
However, this remains the responsibility of the centre."
A bit of context:
- It was the Classic Air Force that set up a museum at Newquay, back in March 2013.
- The Classic Air Force museum at Newquay closed in March 2015, leaving behind several airframes that could not be easily moved. The Classic Air Force itself closed shop in the summer of 2015.
- The Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre was set up in 2015 to save the static airframes at Newquay and evolved into the museum it is now.
- The museum moved to its current location in July 2015, vacating the large hangar that was originally used and moving to HAS 3.
CAHC was set up to make the most of the situation that was created by the short-lived Newquay venture of the Classic Air Force. Because of this, they did not start with a solid base or a clear long-term goal (beyond saving the airframes). But they have taken up these challenges and created a great museum in a location that is pretty short on aviation-themed tourist attractions.
I'm sure that the statement about the lease expiration date in the news item above is correct, but this is the proverbial rock and a hard place that they found themselves in. Having a collection of airframes means that you are very limited in what you can do, just look at the Bruntingthorpe shenanigans if you want another example. CAHC have been in discussion with the council for a long time about this, and the lease extention was one result but having to close up shop was certainly not the end goal.
CAHC has shown that it can provide a worthwhile tourist attraction, that it can stand on its own two feet financially, so unless there is a very compelling argument for kicking them out, I don't see why the council shouldn't support this venture by allowing them to continue doing what they do well? I have not seen evidence of other plans for HAS 3 and the area that the museum currently occupies although I have no doubt that the council has visions of modern businesses that are able to pay a lot more rent than what would be reasonable for CAHC.
Anyway, that's my two cents.
- It was the Classic Air Force that set up a museum at Newquay, back in March 2013.
- The Classic Air Force museum at Newquay closed in March 2015, leaving behind several airframes that could not be easily moved. The Classic Air Force itself closed shop in the summer of 2015.
- The Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre was set up in 2015 to save the static airframes at Newquay and evolved into the museum it is now.
- The museum moved to its current location in July 2015, vacating the large hangar that was originally used and moving to HAS 3.
CAHC was set up to make the most of the situation that was created by the short-lived Newquay venture of the Classic Air Force. Because of this, they did not start with a solid base or a clear long-term goal (beyond saving the airframes). But they have taken up these challenges and created a great museum in a location that is pretty short on aviation-themed tourist attractions.
I'm sure that the statement about the lease expiration date in the news item above is correct, but this is the proverbial rock and a hard place that they found themselves in. Having a collection of airframes means that you are very limited in what you can do, just look at the Bruntingthorpe shenanigans if you want another example. CAHC have been in discussion with the council for a long time about this, and the lease extention was one result but having to close up shop was certainly not the end goal.
CAHC has shown that it can provide a worthwhile tourist attraction, that it can stand on its own two feet financially, so unless there is a very compelling argument for kicking them out, I don't see why the council shouldn't support this venture by allowing them to continue doing what they do well? I have not seen evidence of other plans for HAS 3 and the area that the museum currently occupies although I have no doubt that the council has visions of modern businesses that are able to pay a lot more rent than what would be reasonable for CAHC.
Anyway, that's my two cents.
Sign the petition but do not send money - this appeared when someone did a search: "Change.org is a multimillion-dollar private for-profit organization, despite the misleading use of their .org instead of .com. It is not nor has it ever been a non-profit. In fact, every year Change.org brings in millions of dollars in revenue from a variety of clients for a total estimate of $72 million dollars, with one of its biggest backers being LinkedIn Founder Reid Hoffman. If you click on the link I added for the amount they made, the website specifically shows their industry as being under “Non-Profit” but the Company Type is “For Profit”."
CAHC has shown that it can provide a worthwhile tourist attraction, that it can stand on its own two feet financially, so unless there is a very compelling argument for kicking them out, I don't see why the council shouldn't support this venture by allowing them to continue doing what they do well? I have not seen evidence of other plans for HAS 3 and the area that the museum currently occupies although I have no doubt that the council has visions of modern businesses that are able to pay a lot more rent than what would be reasonable for CAHC.
CAHC has shown that it can provide a worthwhile tourist attraction, that it can stand on its own two feet financially, so unless there is a very compelling argument for kicking them out, I don't see why the council shouldn't support this venture by allowing them to continue doing what they do well? I have not seen evidence of other plans for HAS 3 and the area that the museum currently occupies although I have no doubt that the council has visions of modern businesses that are able to pay a lot more rent than what would be reasonable for CAHC.
Yeah.... I didn't really want to read all of that.... 
Joking aside, I didn't learn of that document until after I typed my previous post. It only confirms what I thought: they are kicking out an established, profitable museum for the promise of more money. An interesting sentence in the council's statement is: "Cornwall Council and Cornwall Airport Newquay are not responsible for the operation of a private business". Surely a museum providing education and inspiration next to conserving aerospace history is not the same as a private business? How is CAHC not contributing to the region's employment opportunities and providing economic benefits? It is part of the tourism industry and is financially viable and stable. Have they actually asked their constituancy if they want "more value for money" if this means closing down CAHC?
Joking aside, I didn't learn of that document until after I typed my previous post. It only confirms what I thought: they are kicking out an established, profitable museum for the promise of more money. An interesting sentence in the council's statement is: "Cornwall Council and Cornwall Airport Newquay are not responsible for the operation of a private business". Surely a museum providing education and inspiration next to conserving aerospace history is not the same as a private business? How is CAHC not contributing to the region's employment opportunities and providing economic benefits? It is part of the tourism industry and is financially viable and stable. Have they actually asked their constituancy if they want "more value for money" if this means closing down CAHC?
Is the "RAF to to use civvie airports" a factor? After all the area occupied by the museum is the HAS part of the airport/airfield that would be perfect for deployed/dispersed airframes!
)
The council want to rent out the HAS units to other commercial entities that will be prepared to pay a lot more in rent for them.
Not that it makes any difference since it was known to be a short term lease anyway, but the Heritage Centre's statement says that they pay commercial rents.
If they do, what difference does it make to the airport or the council who's paying it.
If they do, what difference does it make to the airport or the council who's paying it.
The serious question is 'who should subsidise this venture' when we have an ongoing problem in Cornwall with the lack of affordable housing and an increasing number of people who need real support with basic needs. Cornwall is an economic deficient (seasonal) area that has a very low GDP and therefore not bestowed with benefactors that the museum would need to survive. When the Classic AF came her in in 2013 the County Council spent a huge amount of public money providing facilities, and as soon as the 'honeymoon' of grants/subsidy finished they went back to Coventry. It was obvious that there was no business case that supported the facilities being utilised, and the Council are not a charity but are there to provide a service to the community for normal daily needs. The Airport itself has been a difficult operation to manage and still requires a subsidy, however it also employs a substantial local workforce and connects Cornwall for both business and leisure use.
Of course Covid has not helped the situation, but in reality there was never going to be enough 'trade' to cover costs, and the 'close season' is too long to cope with. Even 'Spaceport' will not be the business generator to help cover costs, so unfortunate as it is Cornwall Council are not being responsible 'managers' by letting the situation continue, and indeed would face legal challenge for a misuse of a public facility.
It should also be remembered that the local maritime atmosphere is an absolute killer of airframes, and no amount of money will keep then in the condition the larger ones were in when they 'flew in'.
Of course Covid has not helped the situation, but in reality there was never going to be enough 'trade' to cover costs, and the 'close season' is too long to cope with. Even 'Spaceport' will not be the business generator to help cover costs, so unfortunate as it is Cornwall Council are not being responsible 'managers' by letting the situation continue, and indeed would face legal challenge for a misuse of a public facility.
It should also be remembered that the local maritime atmosphere is an absolute killer of airframes, and no amount of money will keep then in the condition the larger ones were in when they 'flew in'.
Nicely put Pobjoy. The real issue here (as with XH558) is placing large airframes in unrealistic locations. No point lambasting the Council, airport operator or PM (!) for their actions. Those who let their hearts rule their heads need to take responsibility and look for an escape plan. Let's hope that the majority do make it out alive, but I think it's inevitable that the bigger machines (VC-10, One-Eleven; Varsity) will not. But as ever, let us hope for the best and support where we can.
There's some contradiction between POBJOY's comment that the council are subsidising the museum and its a luxury they can't afford and the museums statement
Isn't it the airport being subsidised and not the museum? So it seems to be a case of is a bird in the hand worth two in a bush? Are the council letting the lease run down because they have a new prospective tenant which will contribute more to the local economy lined up, in which case you could argue that its a cost worth bearing, or are they getting rid of them to make space in the hope something better will turn up? It's not like they are short of unused space on the airport site
CAHC was created by local people, is privately funded, pays commercial rents to Cornwall Council and is becoming nationally recognised as an aerospace site of excellence, yet Cornwall Council have failed to recognise the cultural & heritage value of our museum.
- The Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre (‘CAHC’) is a unique, popular, growing, tourism, heritage and education centre.
- Situated at Cornwall Airport near to the new Spaceport project, it is locally owned and operates with no support from Cornwall Council who, as owners of Cornwall Airport, are its landlords.
As part of this work, the council is reviewing the use of the land at the airport site to ensure the taxpayer is getting the maximum value for money from it and to increase the economic benefit and professional employment opportunities for Cornwall.