Closed city airport will not be nationalised

The Government has rejected pleas to rescue the closed Plymouth City Airport, according to councillors.

Transport Minister Simon Burns has told Plymouth City Council leaders there is no need for an airport in the city and people should make the most of Exeter Airport, council leader Tudor Evans told a meeting of the council yesterday.

Mr Evans and council chief executive Tracey Lee met Mr Burns in London last week to make the case for Government intervention to save the airport, which was closed in December 2011 by its operator, Sutton Harbour Holdings.

The meeting came in the wake of last September's city council vote backing a petition by the airport group Viable.

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However, Mr Evans said he and Mrs Lee were disappointed when they met Mr Burns.

"We met Mr Burns to discuss our wish to keep the airport open and to ask the Government to take it into State ownership.

"The response was very disappointing. Mr Burns made it very clear that there was no chance the Government would nationalise the airport and that this would require a change in the legislation.

"He said there was only limited scope available to help, which he said in the case of Plymouth City Airport was in any case irrelevant."