A prominent councillor has called for more transparency over Cornwall Council’s plans for a future partnership deal to manage Cornwall Airport Newquay and its 650 acre estate.

John Fitter argues there should be more consultation after a motion for Cornwall councillors to be able to debate the joint venture deal with American company Westcore was denied.

The local authority is currently in the process of securing a deal with a partner to develop the land and also take the financial pressure off the council when it comes to running the airport, which is subsidised by the taxpayer to the tune of around £4.8m each year. The wider Cornwall Airport Newquay estate includes Aerohub Business Park, the Spaceport, Kernow Solar Park and 200 acres of land, which is likely to be developed by the favoured new partner, Westcore.

Cllr Fitter said: “As the Cornwall councillor for a large part of the airport estate I am horrified by the current approach of the Conservative Cabinet and their dealing with an American Company called Westcore. Whatever is going on, the lack of transparency is appalling and the recent emails of concerns from the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce along with the Cornwall Business Partnership as sent to the Leader of the Council only further highlights the concerns of the majority of Cornwall councillors.

“The notion that our airport and the 650-acre estate is in effect up for sale with seemingly the only so called redline is that this new partner will pay off each year for the next 10 years the current subsidy that the airport received from the rate payer to ensure it keeps open.

“Ask the question, what happened after 10 years? What guarantees have the people of Cornwall got that this strategic transport air link that gives us the essential connectivity with the rest of the UK will remain, what control will the council have on redevelopment, how will it affect Newquay and the surround parish of Colan , St Mawgan and St Mawgan, this and other questions are met with the standard reply, this is  commercially secret, which is probably code for, “I don’t know.”

“The latest attempt by councillors to have a motion accepted by the Leader, to allow councillors to debate this so called joint venture deal has been denied, and so having run the airport into the ground over the last three and half years they are attempting to hide their mismanagement by selling control, and at the same time telling us in time for the election next year clever they have been, and so avoid the chickens that will certainly come home to roost if this deal is allowed to happen.”