Sponsored by
Airport inquiry ruled out as waste of cash
A PUBLIC inquiry into the failure of Sheffield City Airport would be too late to change its fate and would waste taxpayers' money, Sheffield Council leader Paul Scriven has decided.
The Liberal Democrat politician has withdrawn support for a hearing, despite previously saying one should be held.
He said today: "The effect of an inquiry will not overturn the decisions that have been made and will probably unearth nothing more than we already know.
"It would cost thousands of pounds and would not be a good use of taxpayers' money."
He added: "As sad as the loss of the airport is, it's now time to ensure this mistake never occurs again and move on."
A public inquiry could have probed whether operator Peel did enough to attract new business, and investigated the deal to sell-off the publicly-owned land for 1 if it could not make a profit within a decade of opening in 1997.
Pressure group SCAM - Sheffield City Airport Movement - still believes there are unanswered questions.
A spokesman for the organisation, made up of aviation enthusiasts and businessmen, said: "I think it's another whitewash. Paul Scriven has previously fought for a public inquiry, what's changed?
"A public inquiry is badly needed - it's the only way to bring out into the open exactly how taxpayers' money was wasted and make people accountable. The airport was made unviable."
SCAM raised 48 questions at a meeting with council bosses and its members are dissatisfied with the answers.
Among the queries were why the council did not insist on an independently audited of the airport's financial viability when owner Peel applied for closure saying it was not profitable. The council says it did not because an independent consultants' report in 2005 made it "perfectly clear" the airport was not viable.
But SCAM said: "The only grounds for closure was financial. By not using all measures available to it in determining non-viability, is the council guilty of wilful neglect?"
The group also questioned why the airport was allowed to remove terminal building facilities and landing systems. The council replied they could have been restored had an operator wanted to restart services.
SCAM believes Peel and council officers did not do enough to keep the site open and has released documents showing the two organisations were already talking about alternative use for the airport as a business park years before its closure in April.
An outline planning application has been passed allowing the runway to be turned into a business park. Detailed plans have not yet been approved.
Peel, which also runs Robin Hood Airport in Doncaster, said it closed Sheffield Airport because it was losing money and could not attract scheduled airlines, the last of which pulled out in 2002.
SCAM is opposed to redevelopment and is calling for the airport to be reopened.
What do you think? Add your comment below.
READ MORE
Main news index
Your letters
Features
South Yorkshire's environmental news
Kids Zone
More business news
More Rotherham news
More Doncaster news
More Barnsley news
Latest sport. But the sole interest was a last-minute approach to buy the site as a going concern by city steel tycoon Andrew Cook, which failed.
Coun Scriven supported a public inquiry into the airport’s demise at a Sheffield Council meeting in 2004, seconding a motion by former Tory councillor Anne Smith calling for the hearing.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Sheffield
Tuesday 07 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -6 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: -4 C to -1 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South east
