Alex Snowdon has submitted formal written questions to Guernsey’s Policy & Resources Committee.
He is concerned about the way ahead for a £24m. project to rebuild and resurface the island’s runway, which, it was recently confirmed, has been delayed once more.
And now, following the discovery of asbestos in the airport fire station and long-held concerns about the integrity of the control tower, he is raising concerns over whether a wider scope needs to be looked at for the work.
The latest plans for the runway provide for an 18-metre runway, down from the 23 metres of a previously proposed specification – a change which it is accepted is likely to need a derogation from Civil Aviation Authority requirements which could bring operational restrictions, including in certain crosswind conditions.
He is pressing the committee on whether it has assessed how many flights could be cancelled, delayed or diverted as a result, and the knock-on costs – including to Health & Social Care, through disrupted hospital appointments for patients travelling off-island, and to airline Aurigny.
Mr Snowdon has asked whether both had been formally consulted, and called for a full whole-life cost-benefit assessment of the 18m runway, compared with alternatives, to be published before any final decision is taken. He also questioned the apparent dropping of runway centreline lighting, which had previously been considered to help take-offs in poor visibility.
He is also looking for answers over asbestos found at the fire station, news of which broke this week, which has led to firefighters being relocated to Ayline House. He asked why a routine inspection had reportedly identified ‘no action as necessary’ despite later testing finding asbestos, what assessment had been made of staff exposure between samples being taken on 24 September and results arriving on 5 October, and what impact the relocation would have on an emergency response.
On the control tower, which structural surveys have reportedly found to have a ‘limited life expectancy’, he has asked for its estimated remaining safe operational life, the cost of maintaining or replacing it, and what contingency existed should it reach the end of its life before a replacement was ready. Its replacement is not part of the current runway upgrade.
A previous, more ambitious airport scheme – which included a new fire station and terminal – was abandoned by the States of Guernsey after its estimated cost rose from £24m. to £37m., while the current scaled-back project is intended to be capped at £24m., though there are now fresh concerns over the pressures of holding that figure.
Taken together, Mr Snowdon has questioned whether treating the runway, fire station and control tower as separate projects could result in additional costs, duplicated work or disruption, and called for a consolidated assessment of the combined future costs to be published before the runway specification and spending are finally approved.
P&R should respond to the questions over the next couple of weeks.
Mr Snowdon is facing suspension from the States of Alderney for much of the rest of this year for his continuing battle over an investigation for a potential data centre to be established in the island, but remains one of the island’s representatives in the States of Guernsey and will continue to be able to contribute to debates and committee work in Guernsey.
You need to be logged in to comment.