Ascension : AIRPORT SITUATION - 17th March 2009 - Paper From The Governor
Submitted by The Islander (Islander Internet Editor) 02.04.2009 (Article Archived on 16.04.2009)
I am sure that all of you will realise that the situation surrounding our proposed airport has changed significantly in the last 24 hours, and I believe that it would be helpful for me to try and inform you as to what is going on and what is likely to happen next.
I am sure that all of you will realise that the situation surrounding our proposed airport has changed significantly in the last 24 hours, and I believe that it would be helpful for me to try and inform you as to what is going on and what is likely to happen next.
It became obvious during my recent visit to U.K. that the level of uncertainty caused by the pausing of a decision on the airport could not go on indefinitely. However I must confess that I was surprised by the sudden appearance of a period of “consultation” on the issue, especially as that consultation appears to be very broad. You will recall having been told by visiting experts that the case for an airport as against the replacement of the ship was proven beyond doubt and yet now the idea is to look once again at all reasonable options to see if that conclusion has changed. The reason given for that is that the current economic crisis might have influenced some of the variables in the equation to such an extent as to lead us all in a different direction. I realise that most of you will have the feeling that this is where you came in and you have seen the rest of the airport film, but one would have to admit that the recession has already caused tourism numbers to drop worldwide, and if the recession were to continue for say a decade, then that might have an effect on the wisdom of an airport.
It is very frustrating after all we have been through and those of you listening to Meg Munn in the debate this afternoon will have been heartened by her grasp of our situation and pleased that there are MP’s in the House of Commons willing to speak on our behalf with such vigour.
So the position is that a process will be started early next month with the publication of a document outlining how the consultation process will be carried out. It will in fact be conducted according to an existing Code of Practice which you may view at http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file47158.pdf It appears that the consultation will be a kind of mixture of economic research and public opinion and it will involve a number of people visiting us in the relatively near future in order to get our views.
I have assured Councillors that I will try to ensure that we are consulted about the consultation process itself as I know many of you feel that there must be consultation with ALL saints on this issue, not merely those living here. It is also reasonable to ensure that we should have sight of much of the data surrounding this situation otherwise it is impossible for your politicians or officers to advise or even comment realistically.
If your reaction to all this is that you just want to get on with your life and that anyone asking you about an airport for the hundredth time is in danger of receiving a rude answer, you have my personal sympathy. However this is an issue that is not just about your life or mine, it is about the lives of our descendants and about our ability to actually see our own grandchildren. It is about Saints all over the world being able to return to their homeland more rapidly and more cheaply than they can at present, and above all it is about this island being able to pay its way in the world and of Saints being able to at last receive a comparable income with other British citizens.
Will a ship do that better than an aircraft? Can a ship bring passengers to the island in a manner that enables us to have a thriving tourist industry? Can a plane be much cheaper for Saints than the RMS is at present? All these matters will be looked at once again.
This is merely an initial broadcast to you on this subject. I will be discussing it in more depth with your Councillors as the days go by and we will make sure you are kept informed.
You may ask how long will all this take? The promise is that the decision will be made by the end of the year. You may feel that such targets are regularly missed, but the methodology of this process does force a conclusion, and so at present that aspiration is believable.
The next eight months will not be easy for us. I can well understand the reason for more Saints wanting to leave. However the concept of an airport is not dead, we have many robust supporters now at Westminster, the recession will not go on for ever and if this consultation produces the same strong pro airport result as all previous investigations, then it will be very hard for Her Majesty’s Government to say “no” to our airport.
A.M.Gurr
17th March 2009
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