Airport Peeled, discarded
Today's Sheffield Star brings the hardly unexpected confirmation that the city's airport is to close, due to 'sustained losses' incurred after owner Peel Airport's decision to pretty much close it down anyway. This appears to demonstrate that the site is not commercially viable, allowing Peel to snap up the land and facilities for a quid (estimated value, according to sources quoted in the Star: £440m).
As previously noted, Peel used the proximity of the airport to block the construction of a 90m wind turbine alongside the Factory of the Future building on the nearby Advanced Manufacturing Park (the FoF, now just about ready for occupancy, instead settled on two 56m turbines, awaiting erection). Peel has subsequently announced plans to install showpiece turbines at its Liverpool airport:
The wind turbines will potentially, along with other renewable energy sources, play an important part in the airport's future development. This trial will hopefully demonstrate that turbines can be sited at an operational airport and that others can follow suit.
Funny, that.
As previously noted, Peel used the proximity of the airport to block the construction of a 90m wind turbine alongside the Factory of the Future building on the nearby Advanced Manufacturing Park (the FoF, now just about ready for occupancy, instead settled on two 56m turbines, awaiting erection). Peel has subsequently announced plans to install showpiece turbines at its Liverpool airport:
The wind turbines will potentially, along with other renewable energy sources, play an important part in the airport's future development. This trial will hopefully demonstrate that turbines can be sited at an operational airport and that others can follow suit.
Funny, that.
posted by Tim Chapman at 11:33 am
2 Comments:
Regarding estimated land values.
Creative Sheffields website quotes Sheffield Business Parks as offering:
"2,000,000 sq ft @ Freehold of up to £220.00 per sq ft."
Blue Skies will add , according to their website,( at least) an additional 900,000 sq ft.
Arthur Daley would be proud!
Others will be better placed than me to comment on the financial situation. My comments will be restricted to the very poor impression that this story creates. Sheffield, once such a proud, wealthy city, now seems intent on disregarding well-meant advice and comment in its quest to add business parks. A city is about so much more than this. Companies can go anywhere for a business park. Sheffield's City Airport gave it an unusual advantage, but operation of the airport was taken over by a company which told everybody that the airport was unviable. Trouble is, this company doesn't appear to have done anything to make it viable... and yet Sheffield meekly believed what it was told and turned its back on the airport. And now this company is going to turn your airport into a business park. Unbelievable.
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