The incredible rise and fall of Sheffield City Airport: closure date 22 April 08

[Tony 10]

Isn't it amazing what a bit of political willpower can do in the poorest county in England ?

[KenH 10]

Isn't it amazing what a bit of political willpower can do in the poorest county in England ?

 

In this case the council don't even have to shell out any money, they just have to do enough work to avoid it being sold for £1.

[Tony 10]

The position of the council was determined at a Cabinet meeting in July 2005, when it was reported that the airport was continuing to make a loss.

But as we all know, that "loss" situation is no more than an accounting contrivance, and one which in my opinion our Council should be making a bit more effort to unravel.

 

I know it's not of the Council's original making, but they are the freeholder, our elected representatives and it's a public asset, so;

 

Can we see the original "independent report" rather than the officers report to Cabinet?

Can we see the commissioning document from SCC?

How about having a look at "Memorandum of Understanding" "signed between Sheffield City Council and the airport operators in 2001 "?

Would it be too much to ask to see minutes from meetings on the subject?

[JonnH 10]

The average Sheffield person isn't bothered about this airport.

 

But the obvious reason the conservatives are trying to save the airport is simply because it's those posh folk that are flying into the airport in their private chartered planes.

 

Simple - they are looking after themselves

 

Glad i'm not an average Sheffielder. I'm very bothered if they get all that land for £1. it stinks of something foul. Who sit's on the board of peel holdings (i take it that still who owns the airport) is/was it someone in the council ??

 

The airport could have been very viable except Peel kept putting up the fee's for companies to land and take off so they went else where. It'd have been better if they'd have built the runway longer to accomodate commercial aircraft though i wouldn't have placed it so close to Tinsley. Odd isn't it that PH own Robin Hood Airport too....

[Bolero 10]

Sheffield has an airport?

[redrobbo 10]

But as we all know, that "loss" situation is no more than an accounting contrivance, and one which in my opinion our Council should be making a bit more effort to unravel.

 

I know it's not of the Council's original making, but they are the freeholder, our elected representatives and it's a public asset, so;

 

Can we see the original "independent report" rather than the officers report to Cabinet?

Can we see the commissioning document from SCC?

How about having a look at "Memorandum of Understanding" "signed between Sheffield City Council and the airport operators in 2001 "?

Would it be too much to ask to see minutes from meetings on the subject?

 

I do not know if the independent aviation report is on the council's website. I've just done a search, but drawn a blank. However, do remember that I'm the forum technophobe - so my pc skills are not that reliable!

 

I've also no notion if the other documents you wish to look at are available for public inspection. However, I am sending you a PM with the names of several council officers who may be able to assist you with your enquiry. Hope that helps Tony.

 

Red

[redrobbo 10]

Sheffield has an airport?

 

Do keep up Bolero! It would assist your education if you paid attention to the content of this thread instead of apparently skipping straight to posting. It pays to read a thread Bolero, otherwise you are in danger of showing your ignorance by making a really silly post like this one.

[Tony 10]

PM received. Cheers!

[KenH 10]

PM received. Cheers!

 

Tony, I have read the full report and it is in the public domain but, for some reason, no longer easy to access from the council site This isn't a suggestion of it being hidden, only that you have to get it elsewhere on the web. I re-read it again only a few days ago when this thread reappeared. This whole process has been very open but never really went to the crux of the issue, which is one of accounting, not aviation. If anything, the process is far too open and this has resulted in another loss to the people of Sheffield. People are desperate to see everything that is published but this means that Peel also see the documents. In the report is the suggestion that the developers should be asked for cash to be able to close earlier than 2007. If this had been a commercial organisation then I suspect they wouldn't have told the other side that they were going to ask for cash before they actually asked.

[KenH 10]

Today a government report was published about aviation in the UK. The newspapers are only talking about expansions to Heathrow, but there is a very important paragraph hidden away which is relevant to the operations at Sheffield Airport:-

 

The industry’s impact goes beyond commercial airports and airlines. The General Aviation (GA) sector (business jets and recreational flyers), for example, makes an important contribution to the economy. It is estimated that over 11,000 people are employed in jobs directly related to GA, and the sector expenditure is estimated to be £1.4 billion, equivalent to about 8 per cent of total aviation expenditure

 

http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_control/documents/contentservertemplate/dft_index.hcst?n=17484&l=2

[viper123 10]

Do keep up Bolero! It would assist your education if you paid attention to the content of this thread instead of apparently skipping straight to posting. It pays to read a thread Bolero, otherwise you are in danger of showing your ignorance by making a really silly post like this one.

well i thought it was funny. Chill out

[KenH 10]

well i thought it was funny. Chill out

 

I think that members of the council are a bit sensitive about this one because they are about to give the airport away for £1 not to long before an election. I suspect that their political enemies can score a few points on the back of what appears, on face value, to be a huge late Christmas present to the developers at our expense. Of course, it wouldn't affect my vote as I understand too much of the background, but others aren't so well informed about this issue.