'Saviour' pulls plug on £10m. airport plan

THE man heralded as saviour of Alderney Airport has withdrawn his £10m. investment offer, leaving Public Services embarrassed and humiliated. Less than two weeks ago, the department called a surprise press conference to reveal that it had held discussions with local resident Terry Holding about a public/private partnership that would eventually end the States' £500,000-a-year subsidy to the airport.

But following a tense public meeting in Alderney on Monday night, the offer was withdrawn.

'The overwhelming mood of the meeting was sceptical and even hostile and there was almost no enthusiasm or support for our vision,' said a statement from Mr Holding's HBC, the firm - of which he is the only director - behind the project.

'HBC continues to believe that its proposals for the airport represent a genuine opportunity for the island, are eminently deliverable and would secure the future of the airport and the lifeline it represents.

'However, we are not prepared to impose ourselves upon the islanders where there is clear evidence that they reject many of the assumptions which underwrite our proposals.

'As a consequence, HBC has, with much regret, formally written to minister Bell withdrawing its offer and proposals.'

The move has also cast a shadow over the future of the airport.

'The department is naturally most disappointed that HBC Ltd has decided to withdraw its proposals, which is entirely understandable due to the adverse reaction at the public meeting,' said Public Services yesterday.

'The department felt that the proposals were certainly worthy of further consideration, particularly as they safeguarded the future of Alderney Airport and ensured capital development which is so necessary.

'It is believed that a valuable opportunity has been missed and the working party, consisting of representatives of the Public Services Department and the States of Alderney, will be meeting in the near future to consider the future of Alderney Airport.'

There were more than 200 people at Monday evening's meeting at which the plans were outlined. It was the proposal for between five and eight exclusive houses as part of an airpark which attracted the most opposition.

'We were not surprised at the issues raised but the intensity of the objections and the fact that there was no support or enthusiasm,' said project manager Alan Fulford, of Brittain Hadley.

He denied that the true extent of the plans had been covered up.

'The airpark always formed part of the proposals and were part of the plans presented to the Alderney Airport working party,' said Mr Fulford.

'We have been upfront and set out our vision. It was always up to the islanders to decide whether the costs, whatever they perceived them to be - environmental, cultural or losing public control of the airport - were outweighed by the benefits.'

He said there were no other proposals for developing other airstrips.

'It was a one-off and Mr Holding is disappointed,' said Mr Fulford.

Alderney's Policy and Finance Committee chairman Colonel Peter Walter said: 'The answer was from the people of Alderney last 'Monday' night. The people spoke and that is the end of it.'

He added that getting investment in place was important but it had to be with the will of the public and HBC realised that.

Working party member and Policy and Finance deputy chairman John Postlethwaite said that the full details of the proposals had not been revealed to States members until a meeting in the afternoon and did not fit what the average person in the island thought was for the good of Alderney.

He said it would have been interesting to see even greater detailed proposals in future so that the real costs and benefits - given the proposed £10m. investment over five years - could have been seen. While the airport was said to have character, it was in reality past its sell-by date.