NEWQUAY Airport's long-term future was back in doubt this morning after Restormel Borough Council again said that it shouldn't be the one district authority in Cornwall to supply funding.

The council's rationale is that people and businesses throughout the Duchy benefit from the successful airport, yet the Council Taxpayers of Restormel are, by and large, the only ones paying for it.

Because the burden of funding has fallen 'disproportionately' on people in Mid Cornwall, Restormel says it may have to re-think its future financial commitment.

The council's cabinet has already agreed to ask Cornwall Council to take over its share of spending on the airport.

The councils, which jointly own the airport, spend about £150,000 each on maintaining the facility which is already facing a £750,000 deficit.

Meanwhile, the number of passengers at Newquay has soared in the past two years, from 85,000 a year to nearly 250,000.

But Air South West and Ryanair, which form the bulk of the airport's traffic, pay lower charges than BA which dropped its routes between Cornwall and Gatwick last October.

Restormel leader Joan Vincent has explained the council's predicament. 'We already have a shortfall of £1.7million and to find extra money is well-nigh impossible,' she said.

'We have considered putting a levy on all passengers using Newquay Airport, but Ryanair said it would pull out if we did that.'

The council has asked other Cornwall district councils to pay £50,000 each, but has been refused. The other councils argue that they haven't enough money to fund things in their own districts without going outside.

But Mrs Vincent said: 'It is only fair that the whole of Cornwall pays and that is why we have made the recommendation.'

John Lobb, leader of Cornwall County Council, admitted that Newquay was important for Cornwall's economy, but he said that there were limits to what the councils could do.

'The county council will need to look very carefully at how to make sure that this tremendous asset is maintained and there might be a role for the private sector in that,' he said.

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