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Stobart Air's wings clipped after Government inquiry call
Page 9
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By Chris Tindall.
BOSSES AT STOBART Air say they are mystified as to why the Government has 'called in' its planning application to Cumbria County Council to develop Carlisle Airport and launch freight and passenger services.
The Secretary of State for Transport, Ruth Kelly, said a decision on the plans was "of greater than local importance" and ordered a public inquiry, which led to the company withdrawing its application and shelving proposals to transform the airfield.
As a result, the Stobart Group, whose chief executive Andrew Tinkler is also chairman of Stobart Air, has extended its option to buy the airport for another six months. Tinkler says this should safeguard jobs and minimise the risk of another planning application being rejected.
A company representative says Stobart Air pulled out of the public inquiry because it can't ascertain why the Government was so concerned. "Unfortunately, we are stuck in the position where Stobart employees are still uncertain about their future. Andrew said that if we don't get this, we will move to Widnes, but we are trying everything we can."
Tinkler says he had no choice hut to withdraw the application. "We are not clear on the real reasons why the application was called in," he says. "The Government Office for the North West is citing 'matters of greater than local importance', but we don't understand what those are."