• Home
  • History
  • News
  • Business
    • Business News
    • Business Mag
  • Sport
    • Football
    • NAFC
    • Cricket
    • Durham Wildcats
    • American Football
    • Baseball
    • Rugby
    • Youth Football
  • Features
    • Blog
    • Picture Galleries
  • Community
    • A.T People
    • Services Directory
  • Video
  • Contact
  • Advertise
Aycliffe Today
Aycliffe Today
  • Home
  • History
  • News
  • Business
    • Business News
      Getting To Know You – Carol Gaskarth

      Getting To Know You – Carol Gaskarth

      You’re Hiyed! The CIC that’s breaking down job barriers

      You’re Hiyed! The CIC that’s breaking down job barriers

      Getting Human Resources back to basics – with HR2day’s free audit offer

      Getting Human Resources back to basics – with HR2day’s free audit offer

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 73

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 73

    • Business Mag
      Aycliffe Business: Issue 73

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 73

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 72

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 72

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 71

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 71

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 70

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 70

  • Sport
    • Football
      Aycliffe Youthy round-up

      Aycliffe Youthy round-up

      Aycliffe stay third with 4-0 away win

      Aycliffe stay third with 4-0 away win

      Aycliffe go top with four wins from first four games

      Aycliffe go top with four wins from first four games

      Unbeaten start for Sports Club

      Unbeaten start for Sports Club

    • NAFC
      League campaign returns for Aycliffe after summer changes

      League campaign returns for Aycliffe after summer changes

      More new signings as Aycliffe prepare to welcome Darlington in friendly

      More new signings as Aycliffe prepare to welcome Darlington in friendly

      New arrivals as Newton Aycliffe FC prepare for 2025-26

      New arrivals as Newton Aycliffe FC prepare for 2025-26

      Aycliffe FC celebrate record season with club awards night

      Aycliffe FC celebrate record season with club awards night

    • Cricket
      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

    • Durham Wildcats
      WILDCATS FIGHTBACK TO SECURE CUP WIN

      WILDCATS FIGHTBACK TO SECURE CUP WIN

      WOLVES EDGE IT AGAINST WILDCATS

      WOLVES EDGE IT AGAINST WILDCATS

      DURHAM WILDCATS 73, GLASGOW ROCKS 99

      DURHAM WILDCATS 73, GLASGOW ROCKS 99

      WILDCATS SLAY LIONS AGAIN

      WILDCATS SLAY LIONS AGAIN

    • American Football
      WARRIORS BEAT AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL

      WARRIORS BEAT AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL

      WARRIORS START SEASON IN STYLE!

      WARRIORS START SEASON IN STYLE!

      WOODHAM WARRIORS VICTORIOUS

      WOODHAM WARRIORS VICTORIOUS

      WARRIORS COACH TO TRAIN GB SQUAD

      WARRIORS COACH TO TRAIN GB SQUAD

    • Baseball
      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      COUNCILLORS 'PITCH' FOR LOCAL SPORTS CLUB!

      COUNCILLORS 'PITCH' FOR LOCAL SPORTS CLUB!

      SPARTANS UP FOR TOP AWARD

      SPARTANS UP FOR TOP AWARD

      NEWTON AYCLIFFE SPARTANS AT WOODHAM

      NEWTON AYCLIFFE SPARTANS AT WOODHAM

    • Rugby
      Aycliffe fall to heavy defeat against league leaders

      Aycliffe fall to heavy defeat against league leaders

      Aycliffe notch up another loss in local derby

      Aycliffe notch up another loss in local derby

      Rugby: Aycliffe in bottom two after Whitley Bay defeat

      Rugby: Aycliffe in bottom two after Whitley Bay defeat

      Aycliffe return to winning ways with hard-fought victory over Bishop

      Aycliffe return to winning ways with hard-fought victory over Bishop

    • Youth Football
      Aycliffe Juniors round-up

      Aycliffe Juniors round-up

      Aycliffe Juniors round-up

      Aycliffe Juniors round-up

      Newton Aycliffe Juniors round-up

      Newton Aycliffe Juniors round-up

      Aycliffe Juniors round-up

      Aycliffe Juniors round-up

  • Features
    • Blog
      Covid-19 crisis update from your MP

      Covid-19 crisis update from your MP

      ‘Now we must move forward’ says MP

      ‘Now we must move forward’ says MP

      Business Advice: Cash Flow

      Business Advice: Cash Flow

      The Aycliffe Blue Blog

      The Aycliffe Blue Blog

    • Picture Galleries
      Picture Gallery: Duke of Kent visits Ebac

      Picture Gallery: Duke of Kent visits Ebac

      PICTURES: Hitachi Opening Ceremony

      PICTURES: Hitachi Opening Ceremony

      PICTURES: ROF 59 in progress

      PICTURES: ROF 59 in progress

      PICTURES: Ayclife dancers in national finals

      PICTURES: Ayclife dancers in national finals

  • Community
    • A.T People
      Spring 2015

      Spring 2015

      December 2014

      December 2014

      Aug - Sept 2014

      Aug - Sept 2014

    • Services Directory
  • Video
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
‘Major questions’ to be asked over airport buyout, insists MP
Home
News

‘Major questions’ to be asked over airport buyout, insists MP

December 5th, 2018 Martin Walker News 0 comments 1330

top banner

Newton Aycliffe’s MP Phil Wilson insists there are a number of “legitimate questions” that need to be asked before the public can get carried away by the buyout of Durham Tees Valley Airport (DTVA).

Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen and Peel Airports announced on Tuesday that terms have been reached to bring the airport back into public ownership in a £40m deal, which must be rubber-stamped by council leaders in January.

Deal revealed to sell Durham Tees Valley Airport

But Sedgefield’s Labour MP Phil Wilson – who last year described mayor Houchen’s airport plans as “fanciful” – said that while welcoming “any deal” that would secure its future, he remained cautious.

Three-quarters of DTVA’s land sits within the constituency, of which he’s been the MP since succeeding Tony Blair in 2007.

“I welcome any proposal that secures the long-term future of Durham Tees Valley Airport,” Mr Wilson told Aycliffe Today.

“But there are legitimate questions that need to be answered before any realistic business plan can be approved.

“Who is going to be the operator? Will this be a case of the public sector taking the risk and the private sector taking the profit?

“How much more investment will be needed? Does the mayor have airlines that are prepared to fly out of Durham Tees Valley? Has independent due diligence taken place – we need to know about the viability of the scheme.

“I want to see the airport succeed but I feel these are perfectly reasonable questions we should ask when it involves tax payers’ money.”

Meanwhile, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary Andy McDonald says Houchen needs to stop “hiding behind” non-disclosure agreements and reveal his business plan for the stricken airport.

“The public have a right to know how their money is being spent,” added the Middlesbrough MP, who was appointed Shadow Transport Secretary by Jeremy Corbyn in June 2016.

“I am entirely supportive of our local airport and having met with Peel, the current owners at the airport, I was entirely in favour of their plan to develop additional flights and develop aviation related industries, including the many aviation sector jobs that were to be created.

“I am extremely disappointed that Ben Houchen, on taking up office as Tees Valley mayor, saw fit to block the proposed support of the airport that was agreed by the TVCA Labour Leaders to the tune of £600,000 to bring additional flights to Teesside.

“Had he not rejected that proposal, instead spending money on lawyers and reports to further his notion to buy the airport outright, we would have had those additional flights by now.

“What cannot be ignored here is that the airport loses over £2m a year. Where is the independent business case that says that £40m to acquire an asset that loses such vast amounts of money year in year out can be turned round?

“Who is going to pay for those losses? Are the local authorities – whose funding this callous Tory Government has already slashed in half – going to have to foot the bill?

“If TVCA want a transformational transport investment why not fund a world class bus network across the region? This would be a game changer for the people of Tees Valley.

“Like many people across Tees Valley, I want us to have a thriving airport, but we do have to ask ourselves the difficult question of whether this should be at any cost.”

 

top banner

Share it!

Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest
Next article Former Trinity Mirror MD joins growing publishing team
Previous article Aycliffe Juniors round-up

Related News

Young people encouraged to share views on crime News
July 24th, 2025

Young people encouraged to share views on crime

Measures to control HMOs to be considered News
July 22nd, 2025

Measures to control HMOs to be considered

£1m funding to target local crime hotspots News
July 7th, 2025

£1m funding to target local crime hotspots

LATEST VIDEO

This week on A.T

Aug 7th 7:06 PM
Community

PCP chief executive named finalist for prestigious North East charity award

Aug 5th 3:23 PM
Sport

League campaign returns for Aycliffe after summer changes

Aug 5th 9:16 AM
Community

Aycliffe charity leaf-ing a lasting impact on the environment

Aug 4th 1:53 PM
Sport

Aycliffe Cricket round-up

Aug 4th 9:22 AM
Business

Getting To Know You – Carol Gaskarth

Jul 24th 2:06 PM
News

Young people encouraged to share views on crime

Jul 23rd 8:25 AM
Business

You’re Hiyed! The CIC that’s breaking down job barriers

Jul 22nd 1:32 PM
News

Measures to control HMOs to be considered

Jul 22nd 12:58 PM
Sport

More new signings as Aycliffe prepare to welcome Darlington in friendly

Jul 21st 4:25 PM
Business

Getting Human Resources back to basics – with HR2day’s free audit offer

Recommend
Follow @AycliffeToday
  • Home
  • History
  • News
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Features
  • Community
  • Video
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Back to top
© Aycliffe Today 2019. All rights reserved.
Developed by Thrive