Another kicked down the runway
THE Committee for Economic Development seems to be in the mood for compromise. First it wants to bend the island’s competition laws to enable the Sure and Airtel-Vodafone ‘merger’ to go through.
And now it’s published its long-awaited report on a proposed runway extension with another compromise – let’s get this off our plate, and kick it down the road to the States’ Trading Supervisory Board seems to be the message.
That will enrage some and make absolute sense for others, and it’s a lifebelt that many deputies might be keen to grab on to.
The runway extension in Guernsey is stuck between the proverbial. Those who want it say it’s a must. Those who don’t would put the idea firmly in the same category as pylons.
And then there are those who might be swayed by the idea… but know that there’s no chance of such a project being funded in short or medium-term for sure, and probably longer.
This project will inevitably be kicked down the road, whether for reasons right or wrong, in the vainn hope that the finances and competitive stresses somehow look clearer in five or 10 years’ time.
The alternative is for the States break the uncertainty and agree that this becomes an absolute strategic priority.
Meanwhile, continuing to wait might mean we miss the flight anyway.