Author: Peter Tremayne
Code Red: consultants are getting their teeth into County Hall’s arms-length companies
By Peter Tremayne Officials at Cornwall Council’s arms-length companies are bracing themselves for another investigative report by consultants which is expected to recommend sweeping reforms. The Corserv group of...
French authorities to lead investigation into loss of fishing boat off Cornwall’s coast
By Peter Tremayne French authorities, rather than the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch, are trying to find out what happened to the trawler Maranello, which sank off the south...
Isles of Scilly ferry boss quits
By Peter Tremayne Stuart Reid has resigned as boss of the Isles of Scilly Steamship group, the company which provides the main link between the islands and Cornwall. Mr...
French fishing boat sinks off Cornwall – two missing
By Peter Tremayne A search and rescue operation is continuing this morning (Sunday) off the South Cornwall coast for the crew of a French fishing vessel which is understood...
Gardner-gate scandal – the “smoking gun” evidence which proves that last week’s official council statement was untrue
By Peter Tremayne An official Cornwall Council document about the 2024/5 “Gardner-gate” scandal at Newquay Airport has contradicted an official Cornwall Council answer to a Freedom of Information question....
Newquay Airport marketing blunder with “I’m Mandy, Fly Me” advert
By Peter Tremayne Newquay Airport, which spends £500,000 a year on marketing, could find itself in trouble with advertising watchdogs after producing a poster which shows three scantily-clad women...
Sits Vac: questions about Newquay Airport are followed by the sudden resignation of senior Corserv boss
By Peter Tremayne One of Corserv’s senior executives has resigned suddenly, just days after appearing before a Cornwall Council scrutiny committee to answer questions about Newquay Airport. Paul Cooper,...
Newquay Airport: Page 94 EXCLUSIVE
By Peter Tremayne A number of readers have complained that they are now seriously bored with stories about Newquay Airport. We will therefore try to go at least a...
Up, up and away: Newquay Airport’s appetite for public subsidy appears to know no limit
By Peter Tremayne The tensions within Cornwall Council over how much taxpayers should spend on Newquay Airport each year were laid bare today (Wednesday) as a scrutiny committee divided...
Offering “mates’ rates” at Newquay Airport was not fraud but does pose questions for the Civil Aviation Authority
By Peter Tremayne Questions about how and why Newquay Airport offered “inconsistent” contracts to different airlines, departing from the airport’s own published fees’ rate card, are likely to centre...
Mates’ rates at Newquay Airport: good morning, FOI team
By Peter Tremayne To: Cornwall Council and Corserv FOI teams Please tell me if Cornwall Airport Ltd ever reported to auditors Westcotts the Steer Group findings of “inconsistencies across...
Newquay Airport: more questions than answers
By Peter Tremayne Among the many questions which should be asked by scrutiny councillors tomorrow (Wednesday) is when, precisely, did Cornwall Council leader Leigh Frost and his cabinet colleague...
Newquay-Gatwick: EasyJet flights to end next week despite full aircraft
By Peter Tremayne EasyJet flights between Newquay and Gatwick are due to end next week, despite initial evidence suggesting that the twice-weekly service was well-used. EasyJet leaped to fill...
The curious case of the watchdog that did not bark: how did council auditors miss key financial evidence about Newquay Airport, discovered in only a few weeks by independent consultants?
By Peter Tremayne As Newquay Airport’s request for a £9.7 million taxpayer-funded rescue hurtles towards next February’s Cornwall Council budget vote, a meeting of Cornwall Council’s audit councillors, scheduled...
Dodgy deals and reckless gambles: how not to run an airport
By Peter Tremayne When scrutiny councillors meet on Wednesday to consider two contradictory consultants’ reports about the future of Newquay Airport, they will be urged to hold at least...
Live by the sword, die by the sword: is the £35,000 Steer Group report on Newquay Airport the best value for money ever delivered by consultants?
By Peter Tremayne The Steer Group report on Newquay Airport really is essential reading for anyone who wonders why their council tax bills go up by the maximum 4.99%...
Early closing and job cuts at Newquay Airport – and a “drop off” charge for passengers
By Peter Tremayne The future of Newquay Airport could depend on a hastily-arranged meeting of County Hall scrutiny councillors next week. Cornwall Council bosses want taxpayers to fund an...
Football: Truro City are 14-1 to win National League South again
By Peter Tremayne Just when you thought World Cup Fever was finally behind you… Bookmakers Bet365 are offering 14-1 on Truro City repeating their 2024/5 National League South triumph...
Boom! Or will Newquay’s spaceport continue echoing to the sound of silence?
By Peter Tremayne Excitement is growing at Newquay spaceport (really? – Ed) over the imminently-expected announcement of a development base for the hypersonic Invictus aircraft project, which is supposed...
Cornwall Council to sell Newquay’s Royal British Legion club
By Peter Tremayne The former Royal British Legion club at Newquay appears destined for takeover by a local community interest company. The building is owned by Cornwall Council. The...
Wings for Victory!
By Peter Tremayne Driving past St Columb on the A39 yesterday (Thursday) I was astonished to see a familiar sight in the skies above me: a Supermarine Spitfire Mk...
Newquay Airport passenger levy idea has merit, says council leader
By Peter Tremayne The suggestion of some sort of passenger levy to support Newquay Airport looks as if it could enjoy the support of Cornwall Council’s senior political leadership,...
Two drown at Fistral beach, Newquay
By Peter Tremayne A man in his 60s, and his daughter, in her 30s, both from Doncaster, drowned in the sea off Fistral beach, Newquay on Sunday night. Eyewitnesses...
Impose a passenger levy at Newquay Airport, say councillors
By Peter Tremayne Newquay Airport will not exist without a significant long-term subsidy, scrutiny councillors were warned this morning (Tuesday.) The question is who should pay that subsidy. Historically...
Creating jobs and boosting Cornwall’s economy is not all beer and skittles (or is it?)
By Peter Tremayne Cornwall Council will this week be forced to publish its bar tab incurred at May’s “Pale Ale-gate” knees-up in Leeds. Every year County Hall sends a...
Marketing: Labour’s rebrand brings a boost in the opinion polls (but not in Cornwall)
By Julia Penhaligon The “Burnham bounce” in the opinion polls suggests a dramatic recovery in Labour Party support compared with the final weeks of Keir Starmer’s premiership and a...
Gardner-gate: did Cornwall Council deliberately waste police time or conspire to pervert the course of justice?
By Peter Tremayne On or before 14th May 2025, former councillor Louis Gardner resigned from the post of Head of Future Air and Space with Corserv. On or before...
Newquay Airport: it gets worse
By Peter Tremayne More details have emerged about the financial crisis at Newquay Airport, as Cornwall councillors try to understand why taxpayers are being asked for £10 million a...
Would you like to know a secret? Newquay Airport saw a 27% drop in domestic passengers during May
By Peter Tremayne Among the data which should be described in the secret £35,000 consultants’ report about Newquay Airport are details of domestic passenger numbers. This data, once published...
I could tell you why I want you to give me £10 million a year for Newquay Airport, but then I would have to kill you…
By Peter Tremayne Cornwall Council officials, anxious not to explain why they want a £10 million a year taxpayer subsidy to operate Newquay Airport, are considering forcing scrutiny councillors...
Flying on fumes? Skybus axes Isles of Scilly – Newquay Airport route
By Peter Tremayne Skybus has pulled all flights between the Isles of Scilly and Newquay Airport. The troubled airline says it does not have enough aircraft or pilots. The...
Cornwall burning
By Peter Tremayne Cornwall’s firefighters have been kept busy attending wildfires in the open countryside, after several days of hot dry weather. Yesterday afternoon (Wednesday) three fire engines from...
Pay victory for coastguard rescue teams
By Peter Tremayne Volunteer coastguards have won their battle to be paid £11 an hour for emergency callouts. There are 36 coastguard rescue teams, comprised of around 400 volunteers,...
That’s the way the money goes: scrutiny councillors vent their fury over airport plan which gave them nothing to scrutinise
By Peter Tremayne The Newquay spaceport is dead and should be buried, a Cornwall councillor claimed yesterday (Tuesday.) St Ives Independent councillor Andrew Mitchell told County Hall’s scrutiny committee...
How can we scrutinise airport study if we’re not allowed to see it? complains scrutiny committee
By Peter Tremayne Today’s (Tuesday’s) meeting of Cornwall Council’s “Sustainable Growth” scrutiny committee is struggling to make progress with the main item on its agenda – because it has...
You have a choice of colours, but don’t use the word “Kernow” when rebranding Newquay Airport, say consultants
By Peter Tremayne Cornwall’s “Fifth Nation” campaigners face a dilemma when thinking of a new name for Newquay Airport, spaceport or Aerohub. They’ve been told not to use the...
If you live near a helicopter base, how much noise is too much noise?
By Peter Tremayne Planners are considering relaxing some of the conditions attached to the Penzance heliport, which operates passenger flights to the Isles of Scilly. Penzance Helicopters carries about...
Mid Cornwall Metro: is the £125,000 per month subsidy worth it?
By Peter Tremayne The new Mid Cornwall Metro rail service between Newquay and Par appears to be struggling for reliability since it was introduced on 16th May. Cornwall Council,...
£10 million a year to keep Newquay Airport flying, as consultants recommend a new name and colour scheme for the Aerohub
By Peter Tremayne Newquay Airport will require a taxpayer subsidy of at least £10 million a year for a decade, according to a long-awaited Cornwall Council report. A 41-page...
Working in the shadows: how the next Newquay Airport masterplan dodged public scrutiny
By Peter Tremayne The deadline for submitting public questions to Cornwall Council’s economy scrutiny committee expired at 12 noon today (Thursday) – with still no sign of the Newquay...
Newquay Airport: monkey business as usual
By Peter Tremayne Taxpayers eager to know what has happened to the latest long-promised Newquay Airport “masterplan” will just have to wait. Will we be promised more hotels,...
Spaceport? What spaceport? We now have a “space cluster” – which is entirely different
By Peter Tremayne Cornwall’s spaceport appears to be positioning itself for a major rebrand as Cornwall Council consultants deliver a hard-hitting report on how Corserv can cut costs. County...
EXCLUSIVE: Computer Says No – it took AI 20 seconds to explain why a new railway line across Bodmin Moor will never happen
By Peter Tremayne Next week Launceston town councillors will consider what to do with the £50,000 of taxpayers’ money given to them by Cornwall Council to investigate the prospects...
Opinion polls: the “Burnham bounce” needs to go higher to save all of Cornwall’s Labour MPs
By Julia Penhaligon The latest opinion polls, with research conducted after the resignation of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, suggest a slight recovery in Labour Party fortunes in Cornwall but...
Huffing Puffing Billies EXCLUSIVE: the spending on Cornwall Council’s latest vanity project has started
By Peter Tremayne Cornwall Council is to spend at least £50,000 to investigate whether a new railway line might be built across Bodmin Moor to Launceston. The total cost...
Skybus boss leaves company with immediate effect
By Peter Tremayne Skybus boss Jonathan Hinkles has left the company with immediate effect. Neither Skybus nor Mr Hinkles has said why, but Mr Hinkles has updated his social...
Burnham’s plan to create a Downing Street Manchester office is good news for Newquay Airport
By Peter Tremayne Andy Burnham, who next month will almost certainly become Prime Minister without a general election, has confirmed his intention to move part of the 10 Downing...
Newquay-Gatwick airlink restored
The first EasyJet return flight between Gatwick and Newquay completed successfully yesterday (Tuesday) despite a 35-minute delay caused by poor weather in London. The Airbus A319 is capable of...
Tamar Tag fees and that controversial public consultation: 82% said “no” to proposed increase
By Peter Tremayne Tamar Bridge bosses are set for a showdown with councillors on Friday (26th June) over a recommendation that they should ignore the outcome of a huge...
Newquay Airport: running out of runway and why less could mean more
By Peter Tremayne Newquay Airport today (Thursday) announced good news for Cornwall’s atom scientists – cheap flights to Geneva, the Swiss headquarters of the CERN’s European Organisation for Nuclear...
Cutting waste at Newquay Airport has already cost £35,000 in consultants’ fees
By Peter Tremayne Cornwall Council has hired the London-based consultancy known as the Steer Group to advise on how to cut waste at Newquay Airport. The airport is heading...
Newquay Airport: the next consultants’ report is due to land next month
By Peter Tremayne The future of Newquay Airport appears to rest on a consultants’ report due for publication within the next four weeks. Few aspects of Cornwall Council’s activity...
The curious case of how Delabole found itself at the centre of the UK ship repair business
By Peter Tremayne Anyone driving along the narrow country lane between Delabole and Tintagel, glancing at the Gaia centre business hub next to what was once Britain’s first commercial...
Sits Vac: but will Newquay Airport bother to seek a new boss?
By Peter Tremayne The resignation of Newquay Airport managing director Amy Smith has renewed focus on the looming financial crisis at the airport and the urgent need for a...
Er, that’s not the way the £100 million economic miracle is supposed to work: passengers urged to flock to Newquay Airport, so that they can escape Cornwall
By Peter Tremayne Newquay Airport has said its immediate focus is to concentrate on finding new routes for locals to enjoy winter sun and ski holidays. Confidential notes of...
Huffing Puffing Billies: a Bodmin Express railway might be nothing more than hot air, but we can still spend millions just talking about it
By Peter Tremayne Excitement is growing at Cornwall Council over how much officials might spend on writing a business case for the new all-electric “Bodmin Express” railway, which local...
Tourism: Newquay Airport’s latest “coals-to-Newcastle” deal is good for those seeking winter sun
By Peter Tremayne Spurious claims that Newquay Airport contributes more than £100 million to Cornwall’s economy – mostly by attracting tourists - have been somewhat dented by the launch...
Newquay Airport and Corduroy 2: nothing ever changes
By Peter Tremayne Cornwall Council is hoping that another “preferred private sector partner” is going to pump £300 million into its ailing Newquay Airport. County Hall says it is...
Newquay Airport will be run by its press officer “until further notice”
By Peter Tremayne Corserv has no plans to advertise for a managing director for Newquay Airport, following the resignation in February 2025 of Samantha O’Dwyer. It was Ms O’Dwyer’s...
When does “unleashing potential” become simply fuelling vanity projects? Taxpayers to fund study of a new railway across Bodmin Moor
By Peter Tremayne Cornwall Council is to commission a feasibility study into linking Launceston and Okehampton railway stations, with the addition of a completely new line following the A30...
Jumpers for goal posts: delayed kick-offs and Cornwall Council cock-ups
By Peter Tremayne Cornwall Council’s delay in providing an all-weather sports pitch at Langarth, Truro, has been caused by continuing confusion over who will manage the long-known conflicting demands...
Never a dull moment in the hangar of dreams: Newquay Airport has consumed more than £70 million in annual subsidies since Cornwall Council took charge
By Peter Tremayne These are exciting times at Newquay Airport. In fact, there is never a dull moment. Pulses are racing over the imminent individual decision by cabinet member...
Falmouth’s bonfire night: the use of gunpowder to celebrate burning Catholics “should be left to the professionals”
By Peter Tremayne Remember, remember – oh, what was it? The nights of a traditional Guy Fawkes fireworks’ display in Falmouth and Truro could be over. While Truro City...
“If we give you £100,000 and a Non-Disclosure Agreement, will you go quietly?”
By Peter Tremayne Interest is growing in how Cornwall Council leader Leigh Frost deals with concern over very expensive “exit settlements” and Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) concerning senior County Hall...
Newquay Airport needs £9.19 million from local taxpayers
By Peter Tremayne The Cornwall Council subsidy required to operate Newquay Airport over the past 12 months has shot up to £9.19 million. It’s previous highest had been around...
Kick-off delayed: Truro’s synthetic sports pitch will not be ready in time for the next football season
By Peter Tremayne An all-weather synthetic sports pitch at Truro will not be ready in time for the start of the next football season, Cornwall Council leader Leigh Frost...
Passengers deserted Skybus in the final month of Newquay-Gatwick flights, as Stansted route continues to grow
By Peter Tremayne Data published this morning (Tuesday) by the Civil Aviation Authority shows that despite offering two flights per day, Skybus could persuade only 2,768 passengers to fly...
Houston, we have your latest acquisition
By Peter Tremayne Cornwall’s earth satellite communications’ station at Goonhilly, on The Lizard, is to be sold to an American aerospace company for £37 million. Opened in 1962 by...
Historic departure of first Mid Cornwall Metro train – a new, hourly service between Newquay and Par
By Peter Tremayne Nearly 50 passengers enjoyed the thrill of riding on the first Mid Cornwall Metro train when it rolled out of Newquay at 9.52 this morning (Sunday.)...
Future of St Austell’s football club and Poltair Park: game on?
By Peter Tremayne Hopes of reviving St Austell’s football team could rest of Cornwall Council’s plan to grant a long lease on Poltair Park, which hosts the club’s playing...
Newquay-Gatwick relaunch remains on schedule, says EasyJet
By Peter Tremayne EasyJet has this morning (Thursday) confirmed the launch of its new Newquay-Gatwick flights from Tuesday 23rd June. The twice-weekly service starts at £35.99 for a single...
$210 million boost for South Crofty tin mine
By Peter Tremayne Tin mining at South Crofty is unlikely to be resumed for another two years, but remains a possibility after owners Cornish Metals secured the promise of...
Revealed: Newquay Airport’s completely new-look comprehensive masterplan for redevelopment will go on show in Leeds before Cornwall councillors get a chance to see it
By Peter Tremayne Unknown to elected Cornwall councillors, who have so far seen no suggestions for how Newquay Airport might be developed into a supersoaraway business and/or retail park,...
Skybus pauses Exeter-St Mary’s flights
By Peter Tremayne Isles of Scilly airline Skybus has suspended flights between Exeter and St Mary’s, claiming damage caused by Storm Goretti on 8th January has led to a...
Truro’s swing bridge will mean more pot-holes for the rest of Cornwall
By Peter Tremayne The cost of repairing and operating any mechanical swing bridge over the river at Truro will fall on taxpayers across Cornwall, County Hall has confirmed. The...
Truro City owner quits
By Peter Tremayne Truro City’s footballers are looking for a new club chairman, following the sudden resignation of Canadian owner Eric Perez. Only four weeks ago Mr Perez declared...
Floating offshore wind farms and that £9 million gamble: we haven’t made up our minds yet about another Newquay Airport shed, insists County Hall
By Peter Tremayne Cornwall Council today (Wednesday)insisted that no decision has yet been made about a £9 million “floating offshore wind farm co-ordination centre” to be built at Newquay...
Pale Ale-gate 2026: Team Cornwall is ready!
By Peter Tremayne The annual piss-up in Leeds (surely you mean “exciting festival of investment opportunities?” - Ed) is once more on the horizon, with Cornwall Council’s Liberal Democrat-Independent...
If the war goes on: airlines now say they can keep flying for another month
By Peter Tremayne The prospect of any potential fuel shortages affecting flights to and from Newquay Airport should become clearer within a few weeks. Last month several airlines warned...
Truro’s £8 million river bridge: the curious case of the watchdogs which did not bark
By Peter Tremayne Judging by the lack of information or serious answers, you would not have thought that Truro has already spent five years contemplating its proposed mechanical bridge...
Bridges and troubled waters: Penzance motorists must again find an alternative route around the harbour
By Peter Tremayne Cornwall Council’s vote to push ahead with plans for an £8 million swing bridge over the river at Truro last week provoked some wry smiles in...
Gardner-gate: it was not against the rules for councillors to question the circumstances surrounding resignation of former spaceport supremo
By Peter Tremayne Former Cornwall councillor and cabinet member Louis Gardner has failed in his attempt to bring “Code of Conduct” complaints against two of his ex- colleagues who...
Gardner-gate: one year later, the former “Head of Future Air and Space” at Newquay Airport is now setting up a DronePort, just down the road at St Merryn
By Peter Tremayne To say that it has been an interesting 12 months would be an understatement. This time last year Newquay’s Louis Gardner was still a Conservative Cornwall...
Whatever happened to our £2.1 million Skybus contract? Er, we’ll get back to you on that, says council
By Peter Tremayne Cornwall Council has confirmed it is “in talks” with Skybus over what should happen to £2.1 million of taxpayers’ money awarded last November for what should...
Don’t blame me for letting Trump use our airport, says council leader
By Peter Tremayne Cornwall Council was not consulted about the use of its civilian Newquay airport by a huge US Navy C130 transport aircraft last month. Council leader Leigh...
Newquay-Gatwick passenger numbers fell 32% in February
By Peter Tremayne The doubling of daily flights between Newquay and Gatwick in February could not hide the fact that passengers were continuing to desert the route, according to...
Who remembers November’s “cheap flights to Gatwick” triumph? Skybus contract to be quizzed at full council meeting
By Peter Tremayne It has become routine for Cornwall Council officials to hide behind “commercial confidentiality” as an excuse for not talking about anything in public. But November’s £2.1...
When Saturday Comes
By Peter Tremayne Truro City’s footballers play their final home match of the season at Langarth tomorrow (Saturday.) Already relegated, Truro are playing against promotion-chasing Carlisle. Truro City’s next...
Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few
Spitfire enthusiasts from across Cornwall ignored the double-yellow lines around Newquay Airport this morning as they parked as close as possible to view an historic Spitfire fighter aircraft complete...
Cornwall’s educational space camps “paused” due to budget cuts
By Peter Tremayne Cornwall’s spaceport has ended its educational role for local schools, as a result of budget cuts. The spaceport says its educational programme is “paused” but cannot...
Is Newquay Airport the most virtuous publicly-owned company in Cornwall?
By Peter Tremayne Some people might think that the publicly-owned Newquay Airport needs all the publicity it can get, as it continues to absorb millions of pounds in local...
Aviation fuel shortages threaten to mothball Newquay and St Mary’s airports
By Peter Tremayne Aviation experts around the world are warning that jet fuel shortages caused by Donald Trump’s attack on Iran could lead to airports closing in only three...
That’s the way the money goes: final nail in the coffin for what was once Cornwall’s £40 million Wave Hub as the only local offshore wind turbine project sinks without ever generating any electricity
By Peter Tremayne The only floating offshore wind turbine project spawned by Cornwall Council and its wholly-owned company Celtic Sea Power has failed. Hexicon has repeatedly postponed deployment and...
Newquay Airport: should Corserv’s long-delayed business plan be looking at a future in uniform?
By Peter Tremayne There are signs that the very long, 9,000-foot runway at Newquay Airport, part of the civilian infrastructure since 2008 and maintained entirely at the expense of...
Whatever happened to…the world’s deepest swimming pool, promised at Newquay Airport five years ago?
By Peter Tremayne Promised in June 2021, and leading nearly all of the local media’s headlines, the world’s deepest swimming was supposed to have been open for business by...
It’s a funny game: Truro City’s relegation means the club’s owners can continue to ignore the fans
By Peter Tremayne Truro City’s relegation from the National League yesterday (Friday) after only one season means the club’s fans will miss out on some of the protections offered...
When Saturday comes: these days, it’s what happens off the pitch that really matters
By Peter Tremayne Truro City will be relegated from the National League tomorrow (Friday) if they lose at Yeovil. Their first experience of playing football on a national stage...
Newquay-Gatwick: Skybus bails out early, posing new questions for Cornwall’s airport
By Peter Tremayne The Skybus service between Newquay and Gatwick will fly for the final time today (Thursday) – two months earlier than scheduled. The news means there will...
One battle after another: as fuel costs soar, Newquay Airport can only watch and hope for a swift end to the war in Iran
By Peter Tremayne For nearly two decades Cornwall’s taxpayers have wondered why they subsidise a small regional airport at Newquay, of interest mainly to holidaymakers and second-home owners. It...
To infinity and beyond: it’s not our money, so let’s not worry about getting back to basics just yet
By Peter Tremayne Another blank page in the diary, still no sign of anyone wanting to launch a rocket, so let’s head back to Colorado. These trips for Newquay...