Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre issues lease plea to help safeguard its future
Bosses are hoping to reach an agreement with Cornwall Council
An aviation heritage centre has appealed to Cornwall Council to reach an agreement over a new lease which will safeguard its future.
Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre is located on a site at Newquay Airport which is owned by Cornwall Council.
The museum, which is privately funded and relies on volunteers, has an extensive collection of aircraft and provides educational visits for local schools and colleges.
It also provides facilities which have been used by the MOD for training exercises and is currently preparing a bid to bring one of the last remaining operational Nimrod aircraft back to Cornwall.
However it has reached an impasse with Cornwall Council over renewing its lease so that it can remain at its current home.
The centre’s previous lease has finished and it is using the land on a rolling basis until a long-term lease is in place.
Previous negotiations to put a new lease in place broke down as the centre felt that the council was asking for too much money.
Richard Spencer-Breeze, director of the centre, said: “In 2019 we approached the council about the lease and they came back with an offer which was much higher than before and we wanted a more equitable and fair lease. We felt that it was not fair and didn’t take into account what we bring to Cornwall.”
Negotiations then stalled due to the Covid-19 pandemic which left the centre, like many museums, concerned about their long term future.
Richard added: “There was no point in signing a 10-year lease and then finding that we would go out of business.
“When we determined we were safe to go ahead we asked for a lease again and we were confronted with a huge increase. Since then we have been trying to negotiate.”
The centre’s project to bring the Nimrod aircraft to Cornwall from Coventry hangs in the balance as they cannot sign on the dotted line until the lease is agreed.
Richard said: “This project to bring the Nimrod here, it will never happen again. Cornwall will never have a chance of getting a Nimrod again, we need it to happen now.”
The issues with the lease has also meant that the centre has had to put fundraising for the Nimrod project on hold until it has been agreed.
There are also plans for the museum to increase and improve its educational facilities with proposals in place to build new classrooms and new exhibition areas.
Richard said that the centre has never asked for any financial support from the council but has also had to pay business rates as it was unable to operate as a charity.
He added: “We are not asking the council for any money, all we want is a fair lease so that we can continue to remain here. The council has suggested that we might need to move to a different part of the airport, which we would be happy to do, but we would need assistance to do that.”
Cornwall councillor Julian German is a supporter of the museum and said he was trying to encourage council officers to help break the deadlock.
“What Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre are doing is absolutely in line with the council’s business plan, looking to help develop skills in aerospace and for our young people, it is definitely worthy.
“It is already a great facility and has great potential to become well-known not just as a visitor attraction but as an educational and inspirational place.
“The centre also provides great opportunities for adults with the volunteers who work there getting great benefits.”
He added: “I know a solution can be found, the question is whether there is the will to find it.”
Cornwall Council was asked to comment on the lease negotiations but had not responded at the time of publication.