Sheffield Airport petition comes to the European Parliament

6.00.00pm GMT Tue 3rd Nov 2009

Commenting on the petition to today's meeting of the European Parliament's Petitions Committee protesting against the plans to close down Sheffield City Airport, local Liberal Democrat Euro MP Diana Wallis who is a member of the Committee has said:

"It seems to me that the original deal that was weak so even if an operator wanted to run down the airport and then get the asset for a pound to develop for other purposes then it could not be stopped.

"The Petition's Committee is right to look at referring it to the European Commission but I am not hopeful of a resolution on this given the Commission's statement that it can identify no breach of Community Law in this matter. Frankly the ball is firmly back in the court of the UK government. There has long been a substantial funding gap when it comes to investment in the transport infrastructure in the north. For example the Government could now give an unequivocal commitment to bringing a high speed north-south rail link to Sheffield."

Note:

Petition N° 550/2008 by Mr Stewart Dalton (British) on protest against the plans to close down Sheffield City Airport

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/peti/cm/777/777583/777583en.pdf