Runway hopes grounded as States stalls

Saturday 27 April 2019

The States has voted against investigating an extension to Guernsey Airport's runway at the present time by 20 votes to 19.

However, the Assembly also voted against "no further work" being carried out on the subject - meaning the island's government has decided to neither proceed with a business case for a runway extension nor dismiss it once and for all. While air links investigations have been shelved, the States did decide to invest £400,000 into "undertaking work on contingency options relating to the Island's sea links."

What a fiasco after 2 days of angry grandstanding debate! No vote 2dump the runway option but no positive vote to proceed either! But near universal support for report on sealinks after it was argued Reports bring nothing to table ! @JohnFernandez1 @Laura_radiogsy @mannoguernsey

— john gollop (@GollopGuern) 26 April 2019

Those decisions have already been criticised in some quarters, including from Deputy John Gollop. 

Whether a specialist investigation is done into the cost and benefits of a runway extension now depends on Economic Development, who earlier in the meeting took back ownership of the runway extension from Policy & Resources.

Prior to the vote, ED President Charles Parkinson said, in his opinion, that his committee would be unlikely to pursue a runway extension further if the States voted against it.

He said his committee would realistically have to accept that a vote against its business case "reflected the mood of the States that they did not think an extension to the runway should be considered". 

He did however say that he thought drawing up the business case would cost less than the £700,000 funding that P&R said would have to be made available.

On the cost of a runway extension itself, he said ED had received a quote of £23m. from an experienced UK firm. 

Deputy Parkinson, inset, compared the dismissal of a runway extension to "putting up a sign on the door saying Guernsey is closed for business".

Deputy Matt Fallaize was one deputy who thought that this was the "nub of the debate". 

"It is very largely about sending a message out to the business community that Guernsey is sufficiently open for business and that the States are prepared to acquiesce to the demands of the business community to give further consideration to lengthening the runway."

Deputy Richard Graham went into the debate hoping for a resolution on the runway situation, saying the matter had been discussed enough and needed to be settled once and for all.

"[Approving the investigation of a runway extension] iImproves the prospects of settling the matter. Without it there are no prospects of doing so and it is guaranteed to linger on from States to States."

Deputy Peter Roffey said "a lot of people here are fooling themselves" as he called on the States to front up to the issue.

He said eventually the States are going to have to make a judgement on the runway issue and that "today should be that day" - suggesting that some deputies were afraid to expose themselves to people in the community who do not agree with their decision.