"Redevelopment at Coventry Airport to create 600 new jobs"

[dutchman]

Plans to redevelop abandoned former passenger facilities at Coventry Airport could create up to 600 jobs.



Airport bosses have agreed to sell around 30 acres of land for the creation of a modern manufacturing and distribution hub.

The latest work would be carried out by Ostrava Property, a newly-formed company within the Rigby Group specialist property investment division.

The land – currently covered in concrete and housing the former temporary passenger waiting area for Thomson’s discontinued routes out of Coventry – has been unused for over seven years.

The last passenger flight to use the site was in November 2008, two years before the airport’s acquisition by owners Rigby Group.

Peter Burns, president of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and chair of the Coventry Airport Consultative Committee, welcomed the news.

He said: “There is no question that Coventry Airport is a considerable economic asset which brings investment and employment to the area, and this proposed development is another example of that.”

Andrew Cox, of Ostrava Property called it “a win-win situation”.

He added: “While we focus on building a first-rate business hub to serve the business community, the airport will be investing in significantly improved premises, increasing the throughput of executive passengers and making the area even more attractive to outside businesses and investors.”

And Rob Sweeney, of Coventry Airport, said the proposal formed a major part of their future plans.

He added: “With the closure of the passenger terminal and associated buildings on the south side of the airport, the land is redundant for aviation purposes and disposal of that as a site for commercial development will make a significant contribution towards the airport’s future investment and financial strength.

“The South side upgrade will effectively revive part of the site which has not been in use for many years, replacing concrete with modern business spaces built to match the local area’s aspirations.”

[dutchman]

New manufacturing and distribution hub would mean no possibility of holiday flights coming back to Baginton



Hundreds of jobs could be created with a new manufacturing and distribution hub at Coventry Airport.

But the proposed development dashes any remaining hopes people had of a return of passenger flights to and from the city.

That’s because the new hub would be built on the site of the former terminal, which has lain empty since passenger flights ended in 2009.

It is not yet clear who will occupy the site if the redevelopment is approved, but airport bosses say the plans could create up to 600 jobs.

The airport, which is owned by Sir Peter Rigby, announced the plans this afternoon.

The property development firm recruited to undertake the job is Ostrava Property - another company owned by Sir Peter’s Rigby Group.

Any plans will need to be approved by Warwick District Council, as the land falls within their boundary.

Hopes passenger flights to Europe could return to Coventry were raised in 2013 when Sir Peter also bought Exeter International Airport, which operates flights to Europe.

Coventry Airport operated passenger European flights until 2008 when Thomsonfly pulled out of the city. The airport was closed in 2009 when previous owner, West Midlands Airport Ltd, was wound up amid spiralling debts.

The airport was taken over by Rigby Group’s aviation arm Patriot Aerospace in 2010 and, at the time, Sir Peter said he wanted to resume passenger flights and work would be carried out to find the right airlines. But those plans now appear to have been abandoned.

[rebbonk]

I'll believe 600 jobs when I see them.

[dutchman]

Plans to create hundreds of jobs at city airport takes step forward

PLANS to create ‘600 jobs’ at Coventry Airport have taken a step forward.

The latest scheme for the redevelopment of former passenger facilities comes amid renewed plans to create potentially thousands of jobs near the airport, and concern from opponents wanting to protect the Greenbelt and nearby communities.

The airport’s tycoon boss Sir Peter Rigby has now submitted a final planning application to Warwick District Council to create a business park where the passenger facilities once served international tourism, until government planning restrictions brought about the demise of budget flights at Coventry.

Outline planning permission has already been secured for the manufacturing and distribution hub to be called Imperial Park – granted last December.

Andrew Cox, development manager for Rigby Group’s property division, said: “With the submission of our Reserved Matters Planning Application for Imperial Park, we have made a key step toward, taking an unused area and giving it renewed economic relevance as a modern business hub bringing jobs and investment to the local community.”

The company added: “Once complete, the development, which could bring up to 600 new jobs and a wealth of fresh investment into the local community, will have transformed an area of land that has lain unused for almost eight years following the closure of Coventry Airport’s passenger terminal and associated buildings.”

The company expects to issue invitations to tender for the park’s construction next month, and says it has already attracted interest from a “number of companies” due to the site’s “central location and excellent transport links”.

It says initial work is scheduled to commence on three self-contained units of approximately 63,500 sq ft, 165,000 sq ft and 350,000 sq ft in August – for completion in Spring 2017.

Coventry City Council earlier this year announced major expansion plans for Jaguar Land Rover into green land near the airport, A45 and its Whitley headquarters.

It has sparked renewed concern from environmental campaigners and other residential opponents in nearby villages who fought the former ‘Gateway’ scheme for giant manufacturing and distribution hubs around the airport.

The Gateway scheme was rejected last year by the government on Greenbelt grounds.

Since then, Warwick District Council has proposed to declassify parts of the land which fall within its borders, and release it from the Greenbelt.

Much of the opposition came from villages including Baginton, Bubbenhall and Stoneleigh, and from Kenilworth MP Jeremy Wright, as well as the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England.

CPRE says new jobs at JLR are welcome, but not at the expense of the green belt. Campaigners have long argued other sites are more suitable.