Sheffield Airport - sign the Petion to stop the redevelopment of the site

[BSMan 10]

Why is it so crucial that more money is spent on an airport that is too small to benefit the general population of the city

 

Nobody is suggesting any more public money be put into this.

 

The airport is also in an extremely good location and the council will not allow it to be reopened just for the odd business flight and flying clubs. The land is worth too much

 

The council no longer own the land, after having given it away for £1 to a private company provided they 'prove' the airport was a perennial loss maker. Not a bad deal if you ask me.

 

The staffing costs were almost nil. No fire cover was provided and no rent was paid.

 

Rent was paid in the last year at least. To suggest staffing costs were almost nil when the airport had some of its busiest months in that year is naive. Fire cover was reduced years before that.

 

It will only benefit the elitist in the city and no one else.

 

Two points. Firstly, sometimes the 'elitists' are the ones who invest in an area, creating jobs. Investment that may otherwise go elsewhere. Secondly, regarding your suggestion of a heliport. I hold a PPL, I do not consider myself elitist. However, have you ever seen the hourly cost of operating a helicopter?

 

That's not a profit that anyone is going to be pleased with when you factor in the amount it will cost to convert it back into a working airport again. The runway will need to be relaid, the lights replaced, the terminal rebuilt or offices ejected and the old terminal refitted and then you have external factors such as the radar to install and the windmill in Waverley will have to be moved as that's directly in the line of final approach.

 

None of that is true, with the possible exception of the terminal 'refitting' which, for the type of operation being proposed, wouldn't take much. Hardly the 'tens of millions' the council suggest. Ever get the impression you are getting the wool pulled over your eyes?

 

Even then the profit was only 100k as stated by you

 

One year's profit, along with growth in movements. Is it not possible that the profits could/would have increased over time? Dont forget, the losses were reducing year on year.

 

The fact is that it has attracted the interest of an unknown person who is currently involved in aviation. We may not know any specific details currently, but I have a feeling it wont be long before we do. If that person is prepared to invest, then who are you to tell them otherwise?

[upthera 10]

I don't want an airport, I want Zeppelin mooring facilities and a maglev monorail. Airports are so 2nd millenium.

 

ok they should build a jail in sheff as biggest city in england not to have one...makes sense inkeeping our own sheffielders locked up while creating jobs on our own town

[six45ive 10]

Or both. Imagine if transport could be integrated.

 

Precisely! Which is what this thread is about.

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1089877

[bazjea 10]

Yeah - the heliport still there. But it is for the Northern General air-ambulances, not commercial use.

 

Northern General hospital now has its own helipad in the Hospital grounds,

they no longer use Shirecliffe for air ambulances

[SportsTrophy 10]

ok they should build a jail in sheff as biggest city in england not to have one...makes sense inkeeping our own sheffielders locked up while creating jobs on our own town

 

Or we could have an airport to transport them away safely to Doncatraz

[redrobbo 10]

I've had a look at the petition, which concludes ....

 

"We, the undersigned, therefore call upon Sheffield City Council to urgently ensure that any redevelopment of the site of the former Sheffield City Airport (including further destruction of its infrastructure) is proscribed until an independent public enquiry is held to look into the potential for its future use as a facility for commercial aviation."

 

This is a non-starter. It is wishful thinking and simply cannot happen. I've obtained information from Councillor Leigh Bramall, the Cabinet Member for Business, Skills & Development, who informs me that the situation today is that the airport and the land it is sited upon is in the private ownership of Sheffield Business Park.

 

The check-in building was converted to offices years ago, and the remaining land sits within an Enterprise Zone, backed by the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), ready for further redevelopment.

 

It is important to note that the Council does not own the site, nor is it in a position to determine the future of the site. Indeed, the Council has no grounds whatsoever, or indeed enforceable powers, to attempt to seek to inhibit or delay the redevelopment of the site.

 

So the petition, in its current format, is redundant (and thus a waste of time for anyone signing it) because it calls upon the council to take action which is not within the powers or scope of the council to legally undertake.

[andygardener 10]

It is important to note that the Council does not own the site, nor is it in a position to determine the future of the site. Indeed, the Council has no grounds whatsoever, or indeed enforceable powers, to attempt to seek to inhibit or delay the redevelopment of the site.

 

So the petition, in its current format, is redundant (and thus a waste of time for anyone signing it) because it calls upon the council to take action which is not within the powers or scope of the council to legally undertake.

 

So you have no powers to prevent the destruction of a runway, but you do have powers to preserve the glorious waste ground near Meadowhall?

 

Presumably all Next Home and Ikea need to do is build their stores on the runway then as you're powerless to stop them.

[six45ive 10]

I've had a look at the petition, which concludes ....

 

"We, the undersigned, therefore call upon Sheffield City Council to urgently ensure that any redevelopment of the site of the former Sheffield City Airport (including further destruction of its infrastructure) is proscribed until an independent public enquiry is held to look into the potential for its future use as a facility for commercial aviation."

 

This is a non-starter. It is wishful thinking and simply cannot happen. I've obtained information from Councillor Leigh Bramall, the Cabinet Member for Business, Skills & Development, who informs me that the situation today is that the airport and the land it is sited upon is in the private ownership of Sheffield Business Park.

 

The check-in building was converted to offices years ago, and the remaining land sits within an Enterprise Zone, backed by the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), ready for further redevelopment.

 

It is important to note that the Council does not own the site, nor is it in a position to determine the future of the site. Indeed, the Council has no grounds whatsoever, or indeed enforceable powers, to attempt to seek to inhibit or delay the redevelopment of the site.

 

So the petition, in its current format, is redundant (and thus a waste of time for anyone signing it) because it calls upon the council to take action which is not within the powers or scope of the council to legally undertake.

 

There's always a way. Certainly it's this kind of defeatist attitude that brings so much disrepute to the city and is pretty much the bog standard rhetorical response expected from one of its councillors.

What are you prepared to do to change this situation to enable this necessary development the best chance of succeeding for the betterment of the city and region as a whole?

Can't or won't is not an acceptable response.

[redrobbo 10]

There's always a way. Certainly it's this kind of defeatist attitude that brings so much disrepute to the city and is pretty much the bog standard rhetorical response expected from one of its councillors.

What are you prepared to do to change this situation to enable this necessary development the best chance of succeeding for the betterment of the city and region as a whole?

Can't or won't is not an acceptable response.

 

Any proposal to return the site to a functioning and commercially viable airport, with no subsidy, is likely to require a huge investment of tens of millions for purchase of the site, redevelopment of airport facilities and any underwriting of its operations by the operator, should it prove to be loss-making.

 

Any private sector proposal would have to be put to the current landowners rather than the Council.

 

It is important to note that the Council is not in any position to step in financially at a time when it is having to make huge cuts to its budget, and given the past history of the former airport operation and the York Aviation Report, public subsidy could not be justified even were funding available.

[BSMan 10]

Any proposal to return the site to a functioning and commercially viable airport, with no subsidy, is likely to require a huge investment of tens of millions for purchase of the site, redevelopment of airport facilities and any underwriting of its operations by the operator, should it prove to be loss-making.

 

Utter Bull****. You're getting the wool pulled over your eyes too.

 

Any private sector proposal would have to be put to the current landowners rather than the Council.

 

As the FSB has already said. Perhaps your source at the council (or, more correctly, the news article you got it from), should read the petition carefully..

 

The former Sheffield City Airport is about to be ‘redeveloped’ and its runway destroyed. Once this happens, all hope of a facility in Sheffield for reaching the major European centres, giving access to the key customers, suppliers and partners of western Europe, will be lost. We, the undersigned, therefore call upon Sheffield City Council to urgently ensure that any redevelopment of the site of the former Sheffield City Airport (including further destruction of its infrastructure) is proscribed until an independent public enquiry is held to look into the potential for its future use as a facility for commercial aviation.

 

It is important to note that the Council is not in any position to step in financially at a time when it is having to make huge cuts to its budget, and given the past history of the former airport operation and the York Aviation Report, public subsidy could not be justified even were funding available.

 

Nobody is asking the council, or the public, to subsidise anything barring an enquiry. This deal with Peel Holdings has to be taken to an enquiry. The York Aviation report can not be classed as independant.

 

If you believe what this councillor is telling you, I'm afraid you are a complete mug.

[six45ive 10]

Utter Bull****. You're getting the wool pulled over your eyes too.

 

 

 

As the FSB has already said. Perhaps your source at the council (or, more correctly, the news article you got it from), should read the petition carefully..

 

 

 

 

 

Nobody is asking the council, or the public, to subsidise anything barring an enquiry. This deal with Peel Holdings has to be taken to an enquiry. The York Aviation report can not be classed as independant.

 

If you believe what this councillor is telling you, I'm afraid you are a complete mug.

 

I'm afraid it seems like we have yet another councillor who just wants to parrot the council line and is not prepared to go out on a limb for the city and the people that he purports to represent!

Why oh why would I expect anything else?

[Tony 10]

I've had a look at the petition, which concludes ....

 

"We, the undersigned, therefore call upon Sheffield City Council to urgently ensure that any redevelopment of the site of the former Sheffield City Airport (including further destruction of its infrastructure) is proscribed until an independent public enquiry is held to look into the potential for its future use as a facility for commercial aviation."

 

This is a non-starter. It is wishful thinking and simply cannot happen. I've obtained information from Councillor Leigh Bramall, the Cabinet Member for Business, Skills & Development, who informs me that the situation today is that the airport and the land it is sited upon is in the private ownership of Sheffield Business Park.

 

The check-in building was converted to offices years ago, and the remaining land sits within an Enterprise Zone, backed by the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), ready for further redevelopment.

 

It is important to note that the Council does not own the site, nor is it in a position to determine the future of the site. Indeed, the Council has no grounds whatsoever, or indeed enforceable powers, to attempt to seek to inhibit or delay the redevelopment of the site.

 

So the petition, in its current format, is redundant (and thus a waste of time for anyone signing it) because it calls upon the council to take action which is not within the powers or scope of the council to legally undertake.

Look harder at the petition. Read it all the way to the end. The petition isn't asking SCC to spend money on building an airport. You will find that the FSB is calling for an independant enquiry into how the council handled the sale for a quid.

 

We, the undersigned, therefore call upon Sheffield City Council to urgently ensure that any redevelopment of the site of the former Sheffield City Airport (including further destruction of its infrastructure) is proscribed until an independent public enquiry is held to look into the potential for its future use as a facility for commercial aviation.

 

Leigh Bramall may not relish that prospect. If SCC is found to be negligent in how it administered public funds the consequences don't bear thinking about. Cllr Bramall would do well to stop telling untruths, because he's spouted some whoppers recently. They don't wash, this isn't a PR campaign with a few folk off Manor who might not have the knowledge, will or wherewithal to keep going.

 

The genie is out of the bottle and more and more people are coming to understand that is the real reason that SCC are fighting hard and repeating numerous untruths.

 

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt here redrobbo because you personally might not know much about this other than what your colleagues are telling you, so you repeat the untruths. I'd advise extreme caution on this topic because many people know enough for it to bite a lot of people on the behind. Clever, professional, expert people, who won't have the wool pulled over their eyes by a few press statements from politicians. They have long memories too.

 

The FSB petition calls for an independent inquiry. Heads may roll. People may even find themselves in court... or jail! That is most definitely NOT what SCC want.

 

The FSB petition calls for SCC to proscribe redevelopment pending the enquiry. That is most definitely within SCC's power since there is no planning consent to dig up the runway or otherwise alter the site.

 

It will cost SCC nothing to do nothing, so why isn't SCC acceding to the request? SCC want this to go away but the genie is well and truly out of the bottle.

 

It is time for SCC to take a deep breath and find a way of putting this airport back on the map. Stop spending time and money on filibustering and cover ups.

 

In other words - do the right thing.

Edited December 12, 2012 by Tony