Car park 'sell-off' and airport deal axed by authority's new leadership

>> Council leader Leigh Frost said they have listened the views of residents and acted

- by LEE TREWHELA Local Democracy Reporter [e-mail] @LeeTrewhela

CORNWALL Council's new administration has scrapped major plans to effectively privatise more than a dozen car parks and sell off the airport.

The move to reverse the decisions of the last council leadership comes amid upset about proposed changes to 19 car parks which could have seen the introduction of cameras by private enforcement companies.

Instead, both proposals, made by the previous administration which was voted out on May 1, have been reviewed and cancelled in what the local authority’s leader says is “about common sense”. The administration said that it wanted to cancel them in order to protect vital services and key assets for Cornwall's future.

As such the controversial planned sale of Cornwall Airport Newquay to bring in a partner to oversee its running will not now go ahead. Nineteen council-owned car parks will also remain under Cornwall Council’s care.

More than 1,000 people had signed a petition against changes involving handing them over to the council’s company Corserv, with a protest held this month in Porthleven.

Councillor Leigh Frost, the Liberal Democrat leader of Cornwall Council, said: “We've listened to the views of our residents and taken action to put Cornwall first. Reversing these decisions protects our airport and car parks for the benefit of our communities, our economy, and our future. This is about common sense, getting back to basics and making sure our public assets work for the people of Cornwall.”

Speaking of the car park backlash, councillor Adam Paynter, deputy leader, said: “The backlash on the car park plans was clear - residents feared hidden fee hikes and reduced accountability. And with the airport, there was no guarantee that privatisation would deliver long-term benefits for travellers or local businesses. That's why we're reversing both decisions.”