Published at 12:02, Monday, 30 July 2012

A £25M revamp of Carlisle Airport looks set to get the go-ahead on Friday.

Planning officers are recommending that city councillors approve Stobart Air’s plans for a 394,000sq ft freight-distribution centre and to resurface the runway for passenger flights and air freight.

They say the development, which would not normally be allowed in the countryside, is the only way to keep the loss-making airport open.

But they doubt if the proposed scheduled passenger flights to London Southend and Dublin will survive in the long run.

A report to councillors says: “Very much on balance, the proposal is recommended for approval.

“It has the potential to enable the airport to remain open, involve the retention and enhancement of needed facilities, allow general aviation to operate and, if nothing else, raises the prospect in at least the short term of commercial passenger services.”

The report adds there are “serious questions” about the viability of commercial passenger and freight services and whether wider benefits to the local economy will materialise.

It says: “The distribution centre is likely to be an almost exclusively road-based haulage operation in a countryside location when there are other, more sustainable, locations within Carlisle for such an operation.”

Conditions attached to the planning consent would require Stobart to keep the airport open unless it can show that it is not viable even with the rental income from the distribution centre.

Work on the runway would have to be finished before the distribution centre opens.

Stobart chief executive Andrew Tinkler has welcomed the planning officers’ recommendation.

He said: “Stobart Air has worked tirelessly to consider views from many parties and gone to significant lengths to ensure the application meets the required planning regulations, economic and environmental criteria.

“In the current economic climate it is important to invest in infrastructure and this application, if approved, will help to safeguard jobs and encourage further inward investment.

“The people of Carlisle and the surrounding area overwhelmingly support passenger flights from their local airport so hopefully we will see a positive outcome from the development control committee."

If passed, this will be the third time that councillors have approved Stobart’s plans for the airport .

They first backed proposals in 2008 but the scheme was dropped after the then Communities Secretary, Hazel Blears, called a public inquiry.

Councillors approved a second planning application in 2009 only for the decision to be quashed in the Court of Appeal when Irthington farmer Gordon Brown sought a judicial review.

The latest planning application had been due to go before councillors earlier this month.

They deferred making a decision to allow planning officers to consult on the latest estimate for passenger numbers.

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