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Stobart Group gets go-ahead for Carlisle Airport scheme

Last updated at 17:39, Friday, 03 August 2012

Plans for a £25 million revamp of Carlisle Airport have been given the go-ahead.

But the proposals by the Stobart Group are only agreed in principle and are subject to a string of legal conditions being met.

Carlisle City Council's development control committee today granted permission for the redevelopment.

They gave approval, but with authority to issue - meaning planning officers will sign off the scheme but only after a number of requirements have been met.

How Stobart Group announced the decision on its Twitter feed...

Stobart Group's application to develop Carlisle Lake District Airport has been approved #welcometocumbria
— Stobart Group (@StobartGroup) August 3, 2012

And soon after it tweeted this...

Lots of support on twitter regarding the approval of our plans for Carlisle Airport - hope to get started soon to help boost the region
— Stobart Group (@StobartGroup) August 3, 2012

Irthington farmer Gordon Brown, who forced a judicial review that led to previous permission being overturned, is understood to be considering his position in the wake of today's decision.

Councillors heard argument for and against the proposals before making their ruling.

Their decision is subject to:

the acceptance of the Appropriate Assessment by Natural England
the receipt of appropriate advice regarding the implications of the Commission’s guidance on the “Financing of Airports and Start-up Aid to Airlines Departing from Regional Airports” (2005) + State Aid
the completion of a Section 106 Agreement including an obligation on Stobart's to keep the airport open and the runway maintained unless it can be shown that the airport is no longer economically viable (even with the distribution centre rental income); Travel Plan obligations requiring: payment of a Travel Plan Bond to the county council as the highway authority calculated by using the cost of an annual Cumbria Mega rider Gold ticket multiplied by the proposed reduction in the number of employee commuting trips multiplied by five years; the applicant designating a Travel Plan Co-ordinator to carry out annual monitoring and reporting of results to the county council; the payment of £2,725 per year for five years in respect of county council staff; the setting up of a steering group to oversee the frequency of the shuttle bus service; the payment of £100,000 in order to enable the undertaking of a habitat enhancement scheme to benefit breeding waders
the imposition of the suggested conditions as revised.

Stobart chief executive Andew Tinkler, who described the decision as"extremely positive", said the scheme would drive the economy, boost tourism and safeguard over 800 direct and indirect jobs.

"The freight distribution centre will allow Eddie Stobart to attract new clients while providing the rental income required to develop Carlisle Airport and commence passenger operations. Additional group revenue streams will be realised as we link Carlisle and [Stobart-owned] Southend airports to give passengers seamless connections to Europe,” he added.

Full reaction to the decision in tomorrow's News & Star

First published at 12:49, Friday, 03 August 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk

Have your say

scheduled fights will not work the airlines will pull out after 1 year. i fly from blackpool and its 1hour away it a great airport but they have flights pull out, it hard when u got good airports round us like manchester ect, and blackpool had ryanair flying to london it left pulled the flight so no chance carlisle,

Posted by paul on 26 February 2013 at 17:55

John I live NEAR an airfield, soon to be an industrial estate an airport would be good, I could fly to the States to see my family. I have read the reports and they don't stack up to be an airport. However if the airport did happen, I am not selfish enough to want planes to fly over the school, this could be averted if the runway was changed

Posted by CM on 9 August 2012 at 09:01

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