Last updated 09:34, Friday, 02 May 2008

Given some of the recent commentary surrounding Carlisle Airport, an observer could be forgiven for thinking that Carlisle City Council had initially rejected the application and that WA Developments had a strong desire to upgrade the facilities.

The former notion is false the latter is probably false.

I would suggest that the driver behind this project is the desire by WAD to secure cheap land for industrial development.

If the desire is to develop the airport then where is the airport at the stated alternative of Widnes? Where was the airport at the previous preferred site of Penrith? At present the airport loses £500,000 a year. Investment into airside development without a large increase in air traffic ( and none is predicted by WAD) would not be something that any sane investor would contemplate.

The reason why the council tabled one of the conditions to its minded-to-approve recommendation was to prevent the future owners of the site, ESL a Stock Market-listed business, from simply building the profitable bits and forever delaying the airside aspects. If this condition is to be removed or reworded to allow ESL sufficient wriggle room, then it should give cause for concern to those who want the airport upgraded.

An unfettered approval would most likely lead to an industrial estate in the middle of the countryside and little in the way of airport improvements.

So what, some will say. At least the ESL/WAD jobs will have been secured. Possibly, but if WAD can develop a greenfield site outside of agreed planning policy then why can’t I across the road or indeed anyone else anywhere else?

There is a perception here that a deal has been done in the modern-day equivalent of a smoke-filled room. I hope this is not the case, but if it is then the city council now has two planning procedures – one for those who can exert muscular persuasion and another for everybody else.

Planning matters should be decided on the strength of the application, not the strength of the applicant.

GORDON BROWN
Irthington