Edinburgh Airport expansion delay
19.09.08
Edinburgh Airport has revised its expansion plans, which will delay the planned relocation of its neighbour, The Royal Highland Showground, until after 2020. The airport said it had been forced to change its longer-term plans in light of rising costs of relocating the showground in five years time. However, the Royal Highland Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) accused BAA of cherry picking what and when to buy, to avoid paying the full cost of the relocation.
The airport's expansion plans do not include building another runway and are being put in place to cater for a predicted increase in passenger numbers, with forecasts that the current passenger number of 9.1 million will rise to 12.7 million by 2013 and to 17.6 million by 2020.
The expansion plans require 25.5 hectares of additional land. This would be outside the airport's current boundary and would see it swallow up the showground plus the Quality airport hotel. The showground was originally due to have relocated by 2013, and the hotel be demolished.
However, following a report from the RHASS that it would cost £350 million to relocate the Showground, which would result in a significant extra cost to airlines operating from Edinburgh Airport, BAA Scotland says that it has been forced to adopt its alternative plans.
Gordon Dewar, managing director of Edinburgh Airport, said: ‘We remain committed to the long-term sustainable development of Edinburgh Airport and are continuing our ambitious £265 million capital investment plan to both expand and improve facilities for our passengers. Our new plans provide a more cost-effective future for the development of the airport and remain in line with UK air transport policy.’
However, Ray Jones, chief executive of the RHASS, said: ‘To be told two years into a BAA master plan that the company has changed its mind and that there are to be further delays doesn't seem fair or reasonable. BAA still says it wants our land in the future, but they want to cherry pick what and when they buy, over a longer period of time, and so avoid paying for the full relocation of the showground.'
‘This leaves the society and Scotland's national showground with no business certainty, no ability to plan properly for the future and puts in jeopardy the opportunity to relocate to an appropriate site at Norton Park. We do not believe it is fair that any company should have this level of power over another commercial entity such as ourselves.’
The plans involve development onto two areas of land currently owned by the RHASS. The northern fields close to the main airport runway (about 20 hectares) and a small field south of one of the airport's administrative buildings (about 1.5 hectares). The plans also require development onto the current site of the Grampian Country Foods (about four hectares).
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