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Jurby Airport?


doc.fixit

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DoI back down after the two constituency MHKs wade in - the same two who are the Ministers responsible for driving an Economic Strategy of a future infrastructure for 100,000…I guess it’d be embarrassing to have to move / sack Crookall again.

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The IOM Newspapers' piece is headlined:

Dramatic u-turn as Isle of Man government ditches plan to 'zone' Jurby airfield

and contains the information that:

In its statement, which was issued at 5.40pm on Friday, the DoI said: ‘Safeguarding for the Jurby Airfield and the surrounding land has been in place since 2004.

‘The DoI will engage with the local community in the autumn to fully explain the need to continue to safeguard land around the airfield and what expansion, if any, might mean for those living and working in and around Jurby. 

‘The Airport Masterplan, which is currently being developed, will explore plans for improving and enhancing the current facilities in the south of the island and will include the role that Jurby Airfield currently plays and what may be required in the long-term future to ensure the island’s air connectivity is protected.’

Obviously issuing a statement at that time on a Friday is the PR equivalent of knocking on someone's door and running away.  Presumably the hope is that the media will meekly print whatever you put out and not pester you or your political chums.  But not even Manx journalists are that docile and contacted the residents who still are unhappy.  So I would imagine the meeting will go ahead.

It's notable[1] just how incompetent the Government's PR has been over all this.  They've had the response from Cobb for over a week, but not bothered to do anything till late yesterday.  In reality there should never been a realistic threat of runway expansion or even use on the site except in circumstances where the last of anyone's worries will be house prices in Jurby (if anything protecting nearby areas from development should enhance them).  The situation hasn't changed with the withdrawal of the plan, but it never a threat before, poor and unresponsive PR is what made it become one.

 

[1]  I originally wrote "amazing" but it's not is it?  It's exactly what we have come to expect.

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2 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

The IOM Newspapers' piece is headlined:

Dramatic u-turn as Isle of Man government ditches plan to 'zone' Jurby airfield

and contains the information that:

In its statement, which was issued at 5.40pm on Friday, the DoI said: ‘Safeguarding for the Jurby Airfield and the surrounding land has been in place since 2004.

‘The DoI will engage with the local community in the autumn to fully explain the need to continue to safeguard land around the airfield and what expansion, if any, might mean for those living and working in and around Jurby. 

‘The Airport Masterplan, which is currently being developed, will explore plans for improving and enhancing the current facilities in the south of the island and will include the role that Jurby Airfield currently plays and what may be required in the long-term future to ensure the island’s air connectivity is protected.’

Obviously issuing a statement at that time on a Friday is the PR equivalent of knocking on someone's door and running away.  Presumably the hope is that the media will meekly print whatever you put out and not pester you or your political chums.  But not even Manx journalists are that docile and contacted the residents who still are unhappy.  So I would imagine the meeting will go ahead.

It's notable[1] just how incompetent the Government's PR has been over all this.  They've had the response from Cobb for over a week, but not bothered to do anything till late yesterday.  In reality there should never been a realistic threat of runway expansion or even use on the site except in circumstances where the last of anyone's worries will be house prices in Jurby (if anything protecting nearby areas from development should enhance them).  The situation hasn't changed with the withdrawal of the plan, but it never a threat before, poor and unresponsive PR is what made it become one.

 

[1]  I originally wrote "amazing" but it's not is it?  It's exactly what we have come to expect.

100% such poor communication in a process that involves public consultation and inquiry. 

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Yet another utter and complete cock-up that could only be achieved by the cretins at the Parish Council HQ and, more especially, the moron CS that provides as much useful advice as a local nursery school attendee.

Even a land-fill site wouldn't accept them.

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It's just masterplan fantasy stuff, the main stumbling block for an airport at Jurby would be the what ? half a billion pounds it would require to make a job of it !

I would like a new post created at the airport, which advertised for ........ someone to run a small regional airport with a restricted passenger base in an efficient and sensible manner, and develop facilities commensurate with what are the requirements !

We need some lights and the place needs a makeover, not sure that sort of thing figures in the masterplan, I guess remote towers are on the horizon, very popular in certain circles.

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There are some positives from the saga - Government's rapid backtrack means that they are less likely to spend money on endless studies & buying the affected properties when they come up for their 'strategic reserve' (as with QB pub and various other sites around the island).

 

 

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On 8/9/2024 at 2:14 PM, A fool and his money..... said:

The DOI are terrible for swerving FOI's. A few years ago when Ian Longworth retired the first time, he was taken back on as a consultant on some ridiculous hourly rate. At the time he was still doing a bit of bus driving and I had it on good authority that, because of his contract, he was also getting this massive hourly rate for his bus driving work ( having previously claimed that bus drivers were overpaid).

I sent in a FOI asking what was the highest hourly rate paid to a bus driver in the last six months? They returned it with details of standard wage levels, not answering the question. I queried it and was told that Nick Black would give me a ring - he never did and I never got the question answered, make of that what you will. 

It was a very simply worded question which they chose to swerve.

Nick Black was out driving buses while he was CE at DOI he was putting in more hours than Longworth, doubt he would have called you, he did not answer his emails either to be fair. They were a pair of shysters and had Crookall/Cregeen wrapped around their little fingers and they done exactly what they were.

Edited by Beelzebub3
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22 hours ago, asitis said:

It's just masterplan fantasy stuff, the main stumbling block for an airport at Jurby would be the what ? half a billion pounds it would require to make a job of it !

I would like a new post created at the airport, which advertised for ........ someone to run a small regional airport with a restricted passenger base in an efficient and sensible manner, and develop facilities commensurate with what are the requirements !

We need some lights and the place needs a makeover, not sure that sort of thing figures in the masterplan, I guess remote towers are on the horizon, very popular in certain circles.

This looks like the second significant PR cock-up by Cobb, after the aborted ban on parking outside the terminal which lasted, what, 12 hours? 

Looks like he really doesn't grasp the role he's supposed to be doing (the one you allude to above) or have the political awareness to know when he's acting outside his authority, or simply failing to undertsand the consequences of his actions.

I suppose in the normal world we'd be looking at 'three strikes and you're out' but the DoI is far from the normal world.

Edited by Nellie
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It seems like a sensible idea to have a 'plan' and it was said to be a contingency.  However, the communication was terrible and was handled so badly that even MR (or the NPM) made a side swipe at the issue of the press release late on Friday. 

Let's hope that there is proper consultation so that a contingency can be agreed with minimal impact on those who would be directly impacted.

Other than already having a (very old)  runway, why was Jurby chosen in the first place? 

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