It would be ludicrous to close an airport then open a spaceport, Stone tells Gove
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UK government minister Michael Gove has agreed to take up the cause of Wick's lost passenger flights after being told by Jamie Stone that it would be “ludicrous” to close an airport then open a spaceport.
Mr Stone, the Liberal Democrat MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, said he was willing to put politics aside and work with Mr Gove after the pair met in Easter Ross this week.
Mr Stone updated Mr Gove on the difficulties facing Wick John O'Groats Airport after Caithness was left without scheduled air services, intensifying calls for a public service obligation (PSO) to protect its Edinburgh and Aberdeen routes.
Coming at a time when planning consent has been given for the £17.3 million spaceport at the Mhoine in north Sutherland, Mr Stone declared: “It would be deeply and bitterly ironic if we could launch space vehicles into orbit and we couldn’t land ordinary passenger planes.”
Mr Gove, the well-known Brexiteer who is the minister to the Cabinet Office, was on a brief trip to Alness in Mr Stone’s constituency where he held a remote meeting with tourist bosses about the challenges for the hospitality sector.
The minister also agreed to raise the issue of possible regional furlough schemes with Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
Mr Gove's response, according to Mr Stone, showed he was able to appreciate the difficulties faced by Highland people relating to transport and connectivity. That, said Mr Stone, contrasted with the Scottish Government which he claimed had been deaf to calls to save Wick flights.
Mr Gove agreed to take up the airport issue with UK transport secretary Grant Shapps and Scottish secretary Alister Jack.
Mr Stone said: “I said to Michael, it would be ludicrous to forge ahead with the Sutherland spaceport only to have Wick airport shut down through sheer neglect.
“The whole point about the spaceport is that when it comes into being it can steal a march for the UK on space launch – that is a great market to corner. But if we are going to sell this properly you are going to need to get interested parties to the area quickly, and that is where Wick airport is crucial."
Mr Stone added: “It is totally shocking that the Scottish Government gets away with neglecting transport issues in the north of Scotland where people have an equal right to proper transport links.
"I have been pleading with the SNP government to implement a PSO at Wick for some time now but they continue to reject the argument that the airport is critical to our economy.
"I am glad that Mr Gove has agreed to take the issue up. I was also pleased that by seeing the North Coast 500 for himself, and meeting with local businesses, he was able to show an appreciation for the particular difficulties faced by Highlanders right now and the fragility of our economy, which coronavirus has chipped away at.
"I have been no supporter of Mr Gove's government in recent months but I am willing to put party politics aside if it means we save Wick airport.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We recognise the issues faced by the Caithness area in relation to the loss of the Wick to Aberdeen and Edinburgh air services, as well as more generally. We are carefully considering the business case submitted by Caithness Chamber of Commerce and will respond as soon as we can.
“More broadly, we take our commitment to investing in the north of Scotland in terms of transport infrastructure very seriously indeed and are currently progressing significant and ambitious works and projects that will directly benefit the area and surrounding network that were perhaps ignored or overlooked by previous administrations.
“This includes projects like the £3 billion A9 dualling programme, the ambitious A96 dualling project and the complex A9 Berriedale Braes scheme, the latter of which is due to open in the coming months subject to any unforeseen circumstances, such as adverse weather. When completed the scheme will deliver improved journey times and will remove the need for vehicles to slow down to negotiate the previous hairpin bend.
“The Aberdeen to Inverness rail improvement project is delivering the infrastructure to facilitate a new station at Dalcross, which is being progressed by Network Rail on behalf of Scottish ministers. The second platform, which will provide additional passenger and freight capacity, will be funded by the Scottish Government. We expect the project to be completed in the first half of Rail Control Period 6, which runs from this year to 2024. Transport Scotland will be in a position to confirm the starting and opening dates once Network Rail has completed its feasibility work and third party funding has been secured.”
