Call for urgent repairs to Alderney airport runway

An Alderney politician believes its airport will not last long enough for the refurbishment

An Alderney politician has called for "urgent" work at the island's airport to be brought forward.

The asphalt runway at Alderney Airport was temporarily closed on Friday and Saturday last week for repairs to a defective section of surface.

An online petition, signed by more than 1,000 people, called for urgent action to resurface the Alderney Airport runway by the end of March.

Steve Roberts, the Vice President of Alderney States, said a long-term plan needed to be agreed.

He said: "The longer they leave it, and I think we're getting to an urgency now, I don't think the runway's going to last long enough for the refurbishment - that really is going to have to be brought forward.

"Can you imagine what it would be like if the Civil Aviation Authority come in and close it permanently until it is a refurbished? It would be catastrophic for Alderney."

'An emergency debate'

More than £2m has been spent on repairs to Alderney's runway over the last decade.

In response to the public petition Deputy Lyndon Trott, president of the Policy & Resources Committee, said a review of the portfolio of infrastructure projects was "now needed".

He said: "The Alderney Airport Runway Rehabilitation project will be debated by the States in the coming months and our committee considers that any solution must be contained within the original estimate of £24m to make it affordable."

Roberts said: "We really need it doing and I'd like to see it [work] brought forward, I'd like to see an emergency debate on it."

He added the island was "totally reliant" on the runway remaining open.

"They have to go for scans and biopsies, then they have to go for results... the only way of getting there is by very small boat," Roberts said.

"In Alderney, sometimes access to boats is by ladder, and you can understand that these people are ill and elderly and not very agile, can't go up and down ladders and they're frightened so they cannot go until the airport's open."