Body of Tex for Health Select Committee
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meeting CROSS SERVICE AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE date 11 April 2005 agenda item number Report of the Chair of the Cross Service and External Affairs Select Committee Robin Hood Airport Study Group – Final Report Purpose of report 1 The purpose of this report is to inform the Cross Service and External Affairs Select Committee of the findings and recommendations, based on the evidence from this study, of the Committee’s Robin Hood Airport Study Group. 2 In July 2004 the Select Committee agreed to develop an evidence-based study of Robin Hood Airport – Doncaster Sheffield. The Committee decided to focus on the impact of the airport on Nottinghamshire as a whole, and to look particularly at the following issues in relation to the airport: • Highway and Transportation issues relating to the airport – including access and public transport issues. • Regeneration, economic development, job opportunities, and training issues • Impact on residents living near to the airport • Impact on Nottingham East Midlands Airport • Local investment, including impact on businesses and in-bound tourism 3 A Study Group was set up to develop and examine the findings from this study; the Members of the Study Group were Councillor Roy Barsley, Councillor Sue Bennett, Councillor Martin Brandon – Bravo OBE, Councillor Kenneth Bullivant, Councillor E Llewellyn – Jones, Councillor James Napier, and Councillor Sheila Place. Officer support was provided by Lynn Senior, Head of Scrutiny, and Trish Adams, Culture and Community Department. A number of other officers from the County Council’s Culture and Community, 1 Environment, and Education Departments, also greatly assisted the Select Committee by providing information and/or presenting information at meetings for this study. The Study Group is also grateful for the help provided by Robin Hood Airport and other external agencies mentioned in this report. Methodology for the study 4 The methodology for carrying out this study was to request and commission presentations and reports to Cross Service and External Affairs Select Committee meetings from speakers who were external and internal to the County Council, and involved with work relating to Robin Hood Airport. The presentations were then followed by questions and discussion by Members; on several occasions an invitation to attend the presentations was extended to all Members of the County Council in order to help facilitate the widest possible debate on the issues raised. The smaller Study Group of Members also met separately to plan the direction of the study and to distil the main points arising from the evidence into conclusions and recommendations for the Committee’s consideration. Study Group Members also carried out several visits, including to Robin Hood Airport, and to John Lennon Airport in Liverpool, and reported back the main issues to the full Select Committee in report or presentation formats. 5 The key messages arising from this study are shown as conclusions and the points recommended for further action, either for Council Cabinet or other agencies, are listed as recommendations Issue 1 – General overview of the impact of Robin Hood Airport 6 In order to understand the potential overall impact of Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield on Nottinghamshire, the Select Committee developed a detailed scoping report which was presented at the 14th July Select Committee meeting in 2004. This scoping report outlined the full history of Robin Hood Airport ; in summary, in 1999 Peel Airports (Finningley) Limited submitted a planning application to develop Finningley Airfield, a former RAF base, – as a commercial airport, with airport related business, leisure and hotel facilities. The site is in the Metropolitan District of Doncaster but lies very close to the County boundary being 4 kms to the north-west of Misson and 7 kms to the north-east of Harworth- Bircotes. 7 The First Secretary of State, John Prescott, granted consent to the application on 3rd April 2003, subject to 109 conditions. A Section 106 Agreement was completed covering a wide range of matters, including highways and transport issues. 8 As well as commissioning this detailed scoping report, the Committee also invited David Ryall, Managing Director Designate of Robin Hood Airport, to give a presentation to the 14th July Select Committee meeting; Mr Ryall also provided Members with an information pack, including current fact sheets 2 about Robin Hood Airport, and information about the location, scheme, market – passengers and cargo, and economic benefits of the new airport. The first flights from Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield were due to depart in April 2005. 9 The presentation by David Ryall started with an overview of Peel Holdings PLC, owners of Robin Hood Airport, and stressed the key role of Regional Airports in adding value to the local and regional economy, to the aviation sector, to passengers and freight operators by offering choice, and also by contributing to Regional Transport Strategies by reducing surface travel time. Peel Airports within the Group are; Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Sheffield City Airport, Teeside International Airport, and Robin Hood Airport. 10 Mr Ryall then went on to outline the Robin Hood Airport scheme; it will be an international airport for the local market, with associated business park potential. There will be an anticipated 2.33 million passengers per annum by 2014, and 62,000 tonnes of freight. He further explained the importance of regional airports to the local economy, and described how the predicted growth in low cost flights for both tourism and business travel, and increased freight capacity, will provide employment and create inward investment from international companies, leading to the economic regeneration of the South Yorkshire/North Nottinghamshire area. There is a catchment area of 4 million people within 1 hour drive time of the airport, and it will provide the region with mid and long haul potential ( i.e.: future links to eastern Europe countries on joining the European Union ) and directly to the USA. The majority of potential customers are currently using Manchester Airport, however an estimated16% of them will currently use Nottingham East Midlands Airport. This will obviously have some effect, but David Ryall said that a recent Government report has predicted that growth at Nottingham East Midlands Airport over the next 10 years will exceed this number. 11 Mr Ryall also outlined issues relating to the transport infrastructure near the new airport – for example its easy access to the motorway system and proximity to the East Coast Main Line. Through partnership with local councils and other agencies, access roads to the airport are being upgraded, links to major transport routes and the rail network are being improved, and public transport has already been re-routed to serve the airport. 12 Mr Ryall also covered the job creation potential at the airport, employment applications received, and the role of Directions Finningley, a one stop shop training and employment facility on the airport site. A Directions Finningley road-show is currently visiting schools in the area to influence career choices. This will help to ensure a skilled local workforce is available, not only to the airport, but also new investors to the area. The potential for job creation is as follows; Direct Airport Operational Employment – 2350 jobs Direct Airport Related Employment – 3250 jobs Indirect Employment – 1700 jobs Job Creation – Total 7300 jobs 3 Inbound Tourism and Inward Investment 1173 person years of construction employment 13 Mr Ryall concluded his presentation with an overview of the tourism potential linked to the airport, including links to tourist attractions in Doncaster and Nottinghamshire, and the indicative destinations from the airport via Thomson Charter and Thomsonfly.com. Mr Ryall said he was sure that the Robin Hood name would draw interest from all over the world, and since Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire have some of the UK’s top tourist attractions, we can expect an increase in visitors to the whole area. Therefore we should be ensuring accommodation will be available. Indirectly, he believed that this should create about another 1700 jobs for the local community. Thomson Summer Sun 2005 Brochure, on sale from April 29th 2004, offers the following destinations from the airport Palma Mahon Alicante Faro Tenerife Malta Rhodes Venice Ibiza Gerona Malaga Las Palmas Naples Corfu Paphos 14 David Mather – Head of Skills, Enterprise & Business Support from Nottinghamshire County Council’s Culture and Community Department – was also invited to attend the 14th July meeting to talk about the County Council’s partnership with the airport ; this includes the Council’s role in the provision of land, the upgrading and improvement of transport links, marketing Nottinghamshire as a Tourist destination, encouraging inward investment and providing business support and access to opportunities for local companies. The Council has opened a local base in Worksop which will provide links to employment and training to local schools and colleges. 15 Bassetlaw District Council has had a Marketing Development Officer for Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield since April 2004; this officer, Michelle le Calvez, is employed by Bassetlaw District Council, and the post is part funded by the Alliance Sub - Regional Strategic Partnership (North Derbyshire and North Nottinghamshire). Michelle le Calvez was also invited 4 to attend the