Newquay Airport-Permitted Development Rights

Newquay Airport has been a very topical issue for some time after the previous County Council decided to take it on. It is apparent that the airport has never had the number of passengers to make it stand up on its own merits. For reasons best known to them at that time the previous administration at County Hall where unable to except that fact and continued to go cap in hand to the tax payers of Cornwall to fund the Airport.

Today, on the planning panel we have given the Newquay Airport Board permitted development rights. What this means is that they have the power to put functional buildings in the airports grounds to cross subsidise the running of the airport without the need to go to the authority for planning permission. This should provide the board with income to manage and maintain the airport.

For many, who believe it is not the taxpayer who should fit the bill for the airport this will be welcome news.This clearly won't happen overnight but as time goes on, the airport and infrastructure if done correctly, should be able to stand on their own. I have faith in the board of directors there to create a credible business plan and to take this particular item out of the hands of the tax payer and into the hands of private business.