Heard the airport arguments before

Despite their intentions to build a new terminal and expand flights way beyond anything that had gone before, TUI eventually gave up and sold out to CAFCO-Coventry Limited, a joint venture between Anglo Irish property developers Howard Holdings plc and American airport managers Convergence-AFCO Holdings.

They also failed to in their attempts to expand and build a profitable business and running of the airport passed into yet more new hands when Patriot Aerospace arrived on the scene, planning on offering a range of flights, including leisure, business and freight. At the time, chairman Sir Peter Rigby said: “We intend to make it one of the crown jewels of the local area, providing economic growth and jobs in the community, and will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to develop the business.”

Just how Patriot intended to develop the business became apparent in April last year when they announced plans for a £250m economic hub with manufacturing and distribution areas. At the time, it was forecast that 10,000 jobs would be created, but the number has now risen to 14,000. As any developer knows, job creation is a powerful planning argument although, in a deep recession, such a figure must be speculative to say the least.

These plans have now been formalised and, despite 800 letters of objection being sent to Warwick District Council and opposition from four parish councils, the Campaign to Protect Rural England and Friends of the Earth, seem to be moving forward to an inevitable conclusion.

When the plans were first announced, Sir Peter said: “Since we bought Coventry Airport, our management has been very much community focused and, as always, we are looking to work with the community we serve and bring jobs to the area.”

I seem to recall TUI making similar statements, although, in reality, saw no evidence of their wanting to engage with local people.

So, just what has happened to Patriot’s community focus and why have Warwick District Council officers recommended the proposals in the face of such opposition from its own consultation process? With Coventry City Council having backed the proposals (as they have done with all those that went before), it looks odds-on that permission will be given, but history shows that, where the airport is concerned, plans don’t always become reality. - David Hucker, Didworthy Park, Didworthy.