Business
Cardiff Airport secures £206m investment for expansion
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CARDIFF AIRPORT is set to receive more than £206 million to enhance its passenger numbers and facilities, as announced by the economy minister, Ken Skates. This substantial investment aims to increase annual passenger traffic to two million and improve the airport’s maintenance, cargo, and sustainable aviation infrastructure over the next decade.
The airport has been under public ownership since 2013. However, Mr Skates emphasised that the management would have the autonomy to utilise the funds “with commercial freedom”. He highlighted the airport’s importance, stating it contributes £200 million annually to the Welsh economy and serves as a critical gateway for tourists, investors, and visitors attending various events in the region.
The investment forms part of a long-term strategy to attract aviation businesses and expand passenger routes, focusing on European hub airports, North America, the Middle East, and South Asia. In 2023, Cardiff Airport handled approximately 840,000 passengers, half the number seen in 2019, reflecting the slower recovery from pandemic-related travel restrictions compared to larger airports.
Mr Skates noted that the new funding would not only bolster passenger numbers but also drive job creation and economic growth in the wider region. “The airport, along with the neighbouring Bro Tathan business park, are at the nexus of the cluster of successful aviation and aerospace businesses in the region,” he said.
Despite the positive outlook from the government, the investment has faced criticism from opposition parties. Conservative Shadow Transport Minister Natasha Asghar condemned the move, calling it a “vanity project” and urging the Welsh government to sell the airport. She criticised the substantial public spending, stating, “The people of Wales have been well and truly fleeced with this vanity project, one of Labour’s most costly to date.”
Ms Asghar argued that the nearly £200 million already invested had yielded diminishing returns and that doubling this amount was an imprudent use of taxpayer money. “Cardiff Airport should be sold to finally give Welsh taxpayers some respite,” she added.
The government maintains an open stance on the airport’s future ownership, indicating a willingness to consider various options.
Cardiff Wales Airport Chief Executive Spencer Birns welcomed the investment, expressing optimism about the economic benefits and job creation it would bring. “This investment would enable us to continue providing economic benefits, creating more jobs across our country, being a gateway to the UK and Wales, and ensuring global connectivity,” he stated.
Mr Birns underscored the airport’s value as a national asset, noting that 98% of airports worldwide are community-owned. He reiterated the airport’s role in facilitating over 4,000 aviation-related jobs in the Vale of Glamorgan and its significant economic impact on Wales.
The government’s plan, however, requires a review by the Competition and Markets Authority, as it could be classified as a “subsidy of particular interest” under the UK subsidy regime, according to Mr Skates.
Cardiff Airport has received substantial financial support since its acquisition by the Welsh government, including loans and grants amounting to £179.6 million. The new £206 million commitment marks the next phase of investment following the end of the government’s three-year Covid rescue package.
The long-term vision for Cardiff Airport includes not only boosting passenger numbers but also strengthening its role in the aviation sector, ensuring its position as a vital element of Wales’ economic infrastructure.
Qatar Airways: Awaiting Return
A significant factor in Cardiff Airport’s future success is the return of Qatar Airways. Despite being the airport’s largest player pre-pandemic, the airline has not yet resumed its Cardiff to Doha service. The return of this route is seen as vital for the airport’s recovery and growth.
Qatar Airways has announced the resumption of its Birmingham to Doha route this July, raising hopes for Cardiff. However, the exact timeline for restarting Cardiff operations remains unclear. While some reports suggest a possible return in 2024, the airport and the Welsh government are keenly awaiting confirmation from the airline.
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Business
West Wales airport most people have never flown from under new management
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A NEW group has taken over the operation of Swansea Airport after what were described as high-level talks with the site’s owner, Swansea Council. Swansea Airport Stakeholders Alliance is running the airport on a temporary basis after the previous leaseholder agreed to relinquish its lease.
The airport will continue to operate, and the council said it would soon start a process to find a long-term tenant. Council leader Rob Stewart said: “We’re delighted to have the alliance in place as a temporary new leaseholder. They’ve started running the airport and its members are eager to make a success of it.”
Council joint deputy leader David Hopkins said: “We’ll start to look for a long-term solution through a competitive tender process. The alliance will have the opportunity, with others, to bid in that process. There’ll be opportunities for future investment in Swansea Airport.”
The council said a range of issues with the previous tenant had arisen over recent years, resulting in the existing lease being brought to an end. It did not envisage any additional cost to the taxpayer and said the airport would remain open.
Bob Oliver, chairman of the alliance, said: “Today marks the culmination of three years of intensive work by the alliance. I pay tribute to the skill and professionalism of alliance members, of our stakeholders and of the council, who have put their faith in us to secure a brighter future for the airport.
“Our first task is to take stock of what we have inherited and then begin to bring the airport back to life – to make it a welcoming place to visit, to start delivering social, environmental and economic benefits to the council and the people of Swansea and to make it a facility we can all be proud of.”
Business
Local builder named as top finalist in Screwfix Tradesperson Awards 2024
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SOLVA builder Chris James is constructing his way to the top after being shortlisted for the final ten of the 2024 Screwfix Top Tradesperson Award.
The 37-year-old, who has been in the construction industry for the past 15 years, will now go head-to-to-head with nine other finalists from across the UK and Ireland after beating off fierce competition from over 1,000 applicants.
Chris’s company, Kingsmere Carpentry and Construction, is also committed to raising funds after securing over £50,000 for the children’s charity ‘Farms for City Children’. The charity enables children from disadvantaged communities to find out about working on farms in the countryside.
Chris is also committed to working sustainably bu using waste responsibly by using excess wood to fuel fires. He also plans to invest in a new fleet of electric or hybrid vehicles for use in his company.
In addition to gaining the coveted title, the, the winner will take home a trade bundle of tech, tools and training worth £20,000.
The finals take place at Screwfix LIVE on Friday, September 27 where a panel of industry experts will put Chris and the other finalists through their paces before selecting this year’s overall champion.
Business
Nearly 100 new homes ‘for local people’ approved in Tenby
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A CONTROVERSIAL Tenby housing scheme with nearly 100 “local houses for local people” which will be visible from the island of Caldey has been approved by national park planners
In 2018, Pembrokeshire County Council, which already owned the 15-acre Brynhir site on the edge of Tenby, ‘bought’ the land for £4million using its Housing Revenue Account.
Campaigners fought a two-year battle against the use of the land for housing, calling for protection for ‘Tenby’s last green space’ and fearing it would become a ‘concrete jungle’.
The county council was granted outline planning permission by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority for the development of 144 properties – including up to 102 affordable units – in 2020.
It is now proposed that only 125 houses will be built, 93 of them affordable, and, of the 32 Open market dwellings, 16 are shared ownership properties.
Amendments also included the removal of a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA), one of two Local Equipped Area for Play Spaces (LEAPS) instead providing a multi-use space for ball games.
The reserved matters application, backed in principle by Tenby Town Council, was recommended for conditional approval at the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park development management committee meeting of September 4, despite being contrary to the provisions of the Development Plan.
Tenby Civic Society has raise numerous concerns to the scheme and 20 objections were also received from members of the public, raising concerns including loss of green space, traffic issues, privacy, design, visual impacts and the scale of the development, sewage capacity, the site being no longer allocated for housing, potential antisocial behaviour within the play area, and a limitation on second homes/holiday lets being required.
At the September meeting, concerns about the proposal were raised by Jane Merrony of 1,100-member Tenby Green Space Preservation Society, who said it was inappropriate in its proposed location and “a visual intrusion which will be seen from Caldey Island”.
She told members the scheme would place “extreme pressure” on existing waste water infrastructure and questioned the viability of the development, with fears it could be sold off to a private developer.
The application was passed by park planners after approval was moved by Cllr Di Clements, who expressed her difficulty in weighing the balance between green spaces and housing needs.
Speaking after the meeting, local county councillor, and committee member, Cllr Sam Skyrme-Blackhall said building work was expected to start next year, adding: “These will be let on a local letting policy – they will be local houses for local people. They can’t be sold, they will always be council housing.”
She added: “I believe that this is a hugely important decision for Tenby. We need housing for local people and I am delighted that 93 properties will be council housing. This is good news for our Schools and good news for Tenby. Properties will be let on a strict local letting policy, which means Tenby and the immediate surrounding area only.
“I would like to congratulate the teams from Pembrokeshire County Council on getting to this stage but I also say loudly and clearly that the real hard work starts now and we have to do all that we can to ensure that these properties are built as soon as possible. We have a housing crisis now and need these properties built and let to local people.
“I know that not everyone will be happy. There are people who opposed the scheme for quite legitimate reasons but in the end, for me the balance of the argument was in favour of the scheme and the housing it will provide.”
Fellow Tenby councillor Michael Williams welcomed the scheme but raised concerns about foul water drainage.
“The initial proposal was to run foul water in a North Westerly direction with a new pipeline and despite reassurances from Dwr Cymru I still have major concerns about the capacity of the existing system to deal with such a large development. There are also in my opinion unaddressed concerns regarding storm water runoff and inadequate landscaping on the southern boundary.”
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