11 October 2006
Gloucestershire Airport (aka Cheltenham, aka Staverton) appears to have won the latest round in its battle to stay open.
Last night Cheltenham Borough Council voted in favour, by a slender 18-15 majority, of keeping the airfield open. Councillors thereby agreed to its business plan, as well as to a planning application to extend the safety zone around the runway, and to bring facilities up to health and safety standards.
The council is now investigating whether this vote gives it the legal powers to stop the airport closing.
Liberal Democrat councillors were in favour of keeping the site open “The airport is part of the economic structure of the town. To leave it out on a limb would be unfair to the airport and the people of Gloucestershire,” councillor John Morris said. The party had done a survey in part of the town, and found that 74 percent of those questioned were in favour of the airport.
The Conservatives were the party against the airport staying open, claiming that it was not a worthy draw on the town’s finances (the Council owns the airport, together with Gloucester City Council). Duncan Smith (leader of the Council): “It’s against the interests of the people of Cheltenham. If we closed the airport, we would get more money than if we continue with the business plan. We also have people in Cheltenham concerned about increased air traffic and pollution.”
<a href=’http://www.gloucestershireairport.co.uk’ target=’_blank’>The airport website</a>
