Cornwall's Aviation Heritage Centre being 'forced to close for good'
Bosses say the council has terminated the lease on its site near Newquay
Last updated 1st Sep 2022
A much loved aviation heritage centre is being forced to close after Cornwall Council terminated its lease and told it to vacate its home by the end of March. Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre said that the council's decision means it will have to close forever.
The centre, which is home to several aircraft and operates as a tourist attraction as well as an educational centre, is currently located on land at Cornwall Airport Newquay. It has been running for seven years and is staffed by volunteers who have helped to create an award winning attraction.
However the centre announced that it would have to close as Cornwall Council had decided to terminate its lease and given a deadline to vacate the site by March 31st 2023.
The centre said: "Cornwall Council committed to assist CAHC to relocate their operation but have since refused to make good on these commitments. For more than 10 months the council have refused to even discuss relocation proposals and funding sources.
"With no options for relocation and with Cornwall Council refusing to help, the Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre, the only aerospace museum in Cornwall, Devon and Dorset will have to close forever.
"All of this amazing amenity and opportunity will be lost. Jobs will be destroyed. Valuable and historic aircraft of all sizes will have to be scrapped because of the prohibitive cost of road transport. The opportunity to inspire and educate Cornwall’s future generations will be lost. 60 dedicated veteran and retired volunteers will lose a vital part of their lives".
The centre highlighted that: "Beyond tourism, CAHC provides huge resources, facilities and opportunities for STEM/aerospace education bodies of all kinds. Primary and secondary schools visit regularly, local college aerospace-engineering and travel industry students train with CAHC aircraft ranging from jet-trainers to in-flight refuelling tankers and tourism and leisure cabin-crew courses are conducted on board real airliners.
"The RAF, Royal Navy and British Army come to CAHC annually to benefit from unique access to aircraft for training activities that are not available anywhere else. European Air Transport Command brings up to 120 personnel from nine NATO participating nations to utilise the unique range of facilities for aircraft recovery training that are made available by CAHC, at no cost to the UK tax-payer".
Richard Spencer-Breeze from the centre said: "It is awful, we have been fighting this vigorously for the last 10 months, but in reality we have been doing it for the last three years. We have tried every possible way to resolve this with no luck.
"It is totally ridiculous and unacceptable that Cornwall Council has refused to meet with us to find a solution and despite making a commitment in our original meeting to help us find a site to relocate to and funding for relocation we have nothing.
"We have given them nine proposals and asked them for the opportunity to sit down around a table to talk about this and we have been refused at every single juncture. We are going to have to close and scrap half the aircraft, if not more.
"The council owns 655 acres of land on this site, we only need six to 10 acres of that, that is all we need. We are not asking for a penny from them, we are happy to pay rent. It will not cost Cornwall Council a single penny for us to be here".
Statement from Cornwall Council
“Cornwall Airport Newquay is an operational airport which is vital to the region's connectivity to the UK. It is currently subsidised by the Cornish taxpayer and Cornwall Council is committed to develop the airport in a way which minimises this subsidy and continues to develop the site as a key part of Cornwall’s transport and business infrastructure.
“As part of this work, the council is reviewing the use of the land at the airport site to ensure the taxpayer is getting the maximum value for money from it and to increase the economic benefit and professional employment opportunities for Cornwall.
“Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre (CAHC) has been a tenant at Newquay Airport since 2015. They signed a disclaimer at that point acknowledging there was no right of renewal when its lease expired in 2021. However, in order to assist the centre to find a new site, the Council extended the lease by a further 12 months.
“Cornwall Council and Cornwall Airport Newquay are not responsible for the operation of a private business and securing a site on which to operate is the responsibility of the management of the centre.
“Cornwall Council has made it clear to CAHC that we will consider assisting them to move to a new location when a credible, costed and deliverable proposal has been developed. However, this remains the responsibility of the centre”.