Found at: http://www.anguillaguide.com/article/articleprint/1116/-1/135/
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HOUSE WRANGLES OVER AIRPORT Opposition, Government At Loggerheads
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Plans for the expansion of Wallblake Airport in Anguilla to accommodate larger aircraft and improved overall services are well advanced with actual construction work to commence in September. But the arguments for and against the development of the site continued this week with Opposition Leader Hubert Hughes calling for the Brimigen site on the north of the island to be developed. The Government’s position is that such a venture is a costly and unrealistic affair and in fact is a dead proposal dating back to a number of years.
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Hon. Hubert Hughes
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Hughes made the call in a motion in the House of Assembly on Monday May 5 saying that feasibility studies in the early 1980s had virtually disqualified the Wallblake site as a suitable location for airport development one reason being a lack of space. He claimed in his motion that the Government was in no position to finance or to borrow the needed funds to meet the annual operational expenses; that further expansion of the runway would not provide for the sustainable development of the island and that it would have a negative social and environmental impact on residents in the area. He called for an immediate termination of all considerations to further expand the airport.
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Hon. Albert Hughes
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His motion was seconded by Opposition Member for West End, Albert Hughes, who said it was better to leave Wallblake Airport as it was and focus on the Brimigen site.
Chief Minister Osbourne Fleming charged that Hubert Hughes’ call to terminate the Wallblake Airport expansion project was tantamount to closing down the island and the tourism industry. He noted that the expansion work was decided on, following an announcement by the American Eagle that it would cease operating its ATR-42 aircraft in Anguilla by December this year and introduce the ATR-72, thus making it necessary for the airport to be extended or for the airline to suspend its flights to the island. “Where would that leave our hotels, restaurants, workers and taxi-drivers who are fighting so much for us, our car rental companies and ferryboat operators?” Mr. Fleming went on. “If we agree to this motion from the members for Road South and West End asking this House to close the airport and its service to Anguilla, we will have no country.”
The Chief Minister spoke about Government discussing with Britain the importance of Wallblake Airport to Anguilla, the need for its expansion and the eventual approval received for the airstrip to be lengthened to 5,602 feet. He stated that when the airport was completed its services would offset the cost of its operations.
Minister of Finance Victor Banks said he did not think the motion should have been taken to the House as Mr. Hughes had presented a similar motion and the same arguments in January this year.
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Hon. Victor Banks
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Banks pointed out that all the issues concerning the Brimigen site were already dead; the proposed investors had not performed and the exercise and scope of the project had now changed. He emphasised that the issues presented over the years, including the comparative study of the two sites, had clearly shown that the Government was unable to develop the Brimigen area given the cost involved for land acquisition, housing compensation and the construction work on the proposed jumbo jet airport. He added that the Government could not in its wisdom agree to a project which required an airport of 10,000 feet with a staggering increase of some 500 percent in the tourism sector in terms of the provision of rooms to support its operation.
Hon. Osbourne Fleming
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