New move to gain control of Plymouth city airport

Council leader says it is time for the city to step in

Plymouth City Council is to launch a bid to regain control of the city’s airport.

The airport on the outskirts of the city has been closed for 12 years, but now the council wants to bring the site back under its wing.

The Sutton Harbour Group has the airport on a long lease from the council, and is responsible for maintaining the infrastructure of the site. But in response to a question from a member of the public at a meeting of the city’s cabinet committee on Monday, 10 July, council leader Tudor Evans (Lab, Ham) said it was time the city stepped in.

“The current situation has been going on for long enough,” he said. “I have instructed council officers to do everything possible to see if we can acquire the lease which would give the council control of what happens to the site.

“Negotiations are ongoing.”

He said it been a ‘huge disappointment’ when the leaseholders closed the airport in 2011. There have since been proposals to build houses on it.

“No-one in the city wanted it to close, least of all me,” he added.

“I would have done more to keep the airport open, but Labour were in opposition at the time.”

He said taking back the lease would mean the council could decide on the future of the airfield.

“It should be the council making these decisions for the benefit of the public, not private property developers,” he said.

Another question from a member of the public asked how much it would cost to undo the ‘neglect’ of the airport.

Cllr Evans said the council would be seeking to ‘assert its full rights’ under the lease, and consultants would be reporting on the current condition of the buildings.

The cost of any restoration would depend on the type of aviation planned in future, general use or a full return to commercial flights.