Cornwall aviation museum given 'impossible' deadline

The centre has 20 aircraft including two Tornados and a Harrier jump jet

An aviation museum has been told it must leave its site at Newquay Airport by 11 April.

The Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre (CAHC), which closed its doors to the public in October, said it was an "impossible" deadline.

It wanted to stay on the site "for another eight to 12 months".

Cornwall Council said the museum had been asked in October 2021 "to finalise their plans to leave the site" which had been let to a new tenant.

Founder Richard Spencer-Breeze said the council seemed "committed to seeing this museum close forever"

The museum, which has 20 aircraft including two Tornados and a Harrier jump jet, said the council had told it on Tuesday that it must clear the entire site and "move thousands of valuable and vulnerable heritage exhibits" by 11 April.

Museum founder and director Richard Spencer-Breeze said: "Clearing the site by 11 April over the Easter weekend is completely impossible.

"This deadline is ridiculous."

He said the council seemed "committed to seeing this museum close forever".

He added: "We offered the once-in-a-lifetime chance for Cornwall to have a unique, all-year, state-of-the-art aerospace attraction and education hub.

"All they had to do was let us stay where we are for another eight to 12 months."

'Cornish taxpayer'

Cornwall Council said in a statement: "The centre has had since October 2021 to finalise their plans to leave the site.

"In order to assist the centre, the council extended their lease by a further 12 months in 2022 to the end of March 2023 for that purpose."

The council and airport had also "agreed to store several aircraft for free, leaving the museum to remove their smaller items".

The council said it had also provided support on planning and funding.

It said the airport was "subsidised by the Cornish taxpayer" and the council was "committed to develop the airport in a way which minimises this subsidy and continues to develop the site as a key part of Cornwall's transport and business infrastructure".

The council added that it wanted to bring "high value aerospace businesses to the region, specifically businesses which require airside access".