Sheffield City Airport

[lysander]

Just a small addition....A colleague has produced some data on the SZD-AMS service. Interestingly, whilst it ran, the passenger numbers were greater than from Southampton and were at least as good as those from DSA but using just a 50 seater on a business friendly 3X daily schedule. When the service was launched KLM claimed that it was one of their best supported new services...ever!

 

[sprotyrover]

Cant see Sheffield Airport ever reopening, Used to work at Europa court opposite, theres no parking and its cramped, confined and overdeveloped plus its 20/30 minute bus ride from Sheffield city centre. its only plus is that Sheffield is so poorpy seved by rail to London,2 hrs 7 mins being the best journey time, Doncaster to Kings Cross is 1 hour 31 mins. which would preclude busness travel by air from Doncaster.

 

[lysander]

Half of the original car-park was taken up ( without planning consent) by the Business Park developers. Car parking wouldn't be a problem...there's room to build another, larger one if demand was there and the bus ride is just a red herring. How many business travellers would catch the bus and how many used it when the airport was operating commercial flights?

What needs changing in Sheffield is its parochial mindset...Remember, it was once called " The biggest village in the country"...and with just cause! :sad:

 

[lysander]

It has just been announced that a potential and serious buyer has shown an interest in re-opening the Airport for Commercial and general aviation!

 

[pug]

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/business/ ... -1-5213488

 

[Seasider]

It seems strange that someone is wanting to re-open an airport when there are so many struggling for business.

 

[Aviador]

Unless the operator is an established operator at another airport wishing to relocate.

 

[pug]

Who may you be refering to Aviador? To be honest, I dont see them being successful at buying the land, but hopefully it will generate discussion. Theres no denying that the whole thing was handled dreadfully by SCC.

 

[lysander]

A few brief comments:
The airport in Doncaster is certainly struggling isn't it. The potential buyer for SCA has a number of interests and is already established in the aviation industry. I agree with Pug unless the owners of SCA find a convincing need to sell I cannot see how it will progress...but I understand there are developments.

 

[sprotyrover]

Didnt Peel buy SCA to remove any objection locally to the development of Doncaster. Surely if they thought it was viable and not likely to threaten Doncaster they would re open it themselves?

If there is a viable buyer they must surely have the funds to develop SCA,as I cant see PEEL losing money on the deal. What i am alluding to is a Thatcherite entrepreneur coming in buying the airport for three BOB and a Blackies egg and then asset striping it.

 

[Aviador]

Well if it's true that the city airport was sold for just £1 then surely it could be sold for a profit now to a viable operator? :dunno:

 

[lysander]

The £1.00 was never collected! The Land Register shows that the transfer was registered with a value of "less than £1 million! and you might not be surprised to learn that this has grown to an asset value of just over £4 million, as stated in their latest accounts ...in just over a year from transfer)

There has already been one firm buyer ,who offered £1 million in cash...for starters AND the return of the land if he couldn't make it pay..His offer was rejected out of hand!

 

[sprotyrover]

The £1.00 was never collected! The Land Register shows that the transfer was registered with a value of "less than £1 million! and you might not be surprised to learn that this has grown to an asset value of just over £4 million, as stated in their latest accounts ...in just over a year from transfer)

There has already been one firm buyer ,who offered £1 million in cash...for starters AND the return of the land if he couldn't make it pay..His offer was rejected out of hand!

Bit alarming that bit of news its prime development land must be worth hundreds of thousands per acre.
there is alot going off within a mile of the site as well,Rolls Royce,advanced engineering
park for the Nuclear Industry.
:dirol:

 

[lysander]

The Advanced Manufacturing Park has come out in support of keeping the airport as have a couple of local MP's ( who, in the past, have been noticeably silent)

 

[lysander]

After a well supported public meeting a TV interview has revealed that private individuals may be willing to invest a substantial amount of money and re-open the airport. The obstacles would seem to be finding a willing seller, at an acceptable price, and convincing Sheffield's neanderthal Labour Group to admit the City would benefit from a City Airport as, self evidently, the potential investors do! :hatsoff:

 

[skipseasaint]

Sheffield City Airport

Sheffield Local Enterprise Partnership wants to dig up the former Sheffield City Airport to build a 50 acre business park. There is a growing band of people who believe this would be an act of sheer folly, obliterating for ever a vital resource that that has a major part to play in the regeneration of the local economy.

We believe that the city needs a regional airport in order to build trade and inward investment. We hope to see regular flights reinstated in the near future with a daily link to an international ‘hub’ airport, regular services to London and other parts of the UK and flights to other European cities. All this is quite feasible as long as the present airport infrastructure is retained whilst plans come to fruition. A number of investors have come forward willing to initiate a capital project to reinstate the airport and open it once more to commercial operation. They will be talking to the site’s owners in due course with a view to purchasing the site and remaining infrastructure. This seems a much more productive use of an existing asset, built originally at the great expense of council taxpayers, but subsequently sold – inexplicably - to private developers for the sum of £1.

Sheffield City Council is sitting firmly on the fence, maintaining that use of the site is a private matter between the present owners and any prospective developers. We believe emphatically that anyone willing to make a £multi-million investment in the city’s infrastructure has a right to know that the project has the support of the council.

We are therefore embarking on a bid to force Sheffield City Council to debate the matter in open forum. In November a petition was set up to save the airport from the developers in the hope (ambitiously, we thought!) of attracting 1,000 signatures. In the event, we were staggered to gain 3,500 signatures! We are now broadening that petition to include anyone and everyone who would like to see the airport reopened. WE NEED TO REACH 5,000 SIGNATURES, AT WHICH POINT THE COUNCIL WILL HAVE NO OPTION BUT TO DEBATE THE MATTER IN OPEN FORUM. If you agree with us, PLEASE SIGN OUR PETITION. You can also help by forwarding this message to friends and colleagues and, where appropriate, using social media to spread the message.

YOU CAN SIGN THE PETITION AT http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/s ... ityairport

Thank you for supporting us.

 

[lysander]

Two potential buyers are known to be arranging talks with Peel. Local politicians are now starting to publically support the notion of reopening the airport with private funding.

 

[lysander]

The Petition needs just 1000 names and then Sheffield Council will have to openly debate the issue. This will not affect any possible buyer but will make the Council realise they cannot any longer rely for their defence on an outdated, flawed assessment....and some "inconvenient" facts about the case for closure are likely to emerge

www.petitionbuzz.co/petion/sheffieldcityairport

 

[lysander]

Target now reached!

 

[lysander]

The Petition will be handed into the Council this Thursday asking for an immediate moratorium on any further development.