More than a year has passed since Plymouth City Council gave Sutton Harbour Group Plc (SHG) an ultimatum about the future of the city’s disused airport, but talks are still ongoing. The council previously warned the leaseholder that legal action would be taken to reclaim the land if no action was taken. Plymouth residents are growing frustrated and seeking a resolution.

In February of last year, the council accused SHG’s subsidiary, Plymouth City Airport Ltd (PCAL), of violating lease covenants and failing to provide assurances of compliance with the lease for the former Plymouth City Airport site. A formal legal notice was issued to SHG by the council, which owns the freehold of the land, giving them one final chance to remedy the situation before the council took further legal action to terminate the lease. PCAL was given a year to demonstrate compliance, but the notice of forfeiture expired last month without any resolution.

Despite rumors that the dispute had escalated to arbitration, the council denied these claims. A spokesperson clarified: “Your information is not correct. We are continuing to negotiate with them.” In the meantime, SHG has denied any breach of the lease and has proposed plans to develop housing on the site.

SHG, which holds a long lease on the former airport land, has faced financial difficulties due to high interest rates, legal disputes with the Environment Agency and the council, and losses from constructing a large apartment complex at Sutton Harbour. The company has cited “unsustainable” debts and has been forced to refinance with NatWest bank. Last year, SHG revealed that the cost of maintaining the airport and dealing with legal claims from the council had nearly reached £1 million.

This issue has sparked a lively debate among Plymouth residents. Commenter 'Ineedsunshine' believes reopening the airport would benefit business and private flights, and could shorten travel times for Plymouth Argyle fans. 'Rebel_ray' agrees, recalling how the airport made travel to the States and the Far East much easier. However, 'Actually...' argues that the airport closed due to low usage and that reopening it would only benefit a small group of people.

'Jannerfox' contends that an operational commercial airport is vital to the city’s future, bringing in both business and investment, while 'Albertgate' believes most residents don’t care about the airport since Exeter and Newquay are easily accessible. 'AJGreen' argues that residential or commercial development would generate more revenue for the city than reopening the airport, with Plymouth City Council losing money as negotiations drag on.

'Princewalter' suggests repurposing the airport site as a tech cluster to attract companies with seed funding, while 'Clenny1' expresses concern about Plymouth’s infrastructure, particularly its roads, which are already congested. 'Paul Wojtusciszyn' believes the opportunity to reopen the airport has been missed, as housing has already been built around the site, and no one is willing to invest in its revival.

The debate continues to divide public opinion. What do you think? Should Plymouth reopen its airport or develop the site for housing? Share your thoughts in the comments below.