An aviation museum in Cornwall, in the southwest of the UK, is facing closure. The Cornwall Aviation Heritage Center has been up and running for around seven years, and is home to a number of historic aircraft as well as an education center. Its home, on land at Cornwall Airport Newquay, is leased from Cornwall Council.
But the Council has decided it will no longer support the venture and has given the owners notice to evict the site by March 31st, 2023. A spokesperson for the center said that,
"Cornwall Council committed to assist CAHC to relocate their operation but have since refused to make good on these commitments. For more than 10 months the council have refused to even discuss relocation proposals and funding sources.
"With no options for relocation and with Cornwall Council refusing to help, the Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre, the only aerospace museum in Cornwall, Devon and Dorset will have to close forever."
But supporters of the museum are not letting it go quietly. As news broke yesterday of the Heritage Center's plight, a petition was launched to overturn the council's decision, and to allow the facility to remain on the site. Since the petition opened yesterday, more than 10,000 people from all over the world have signed to keep the premises open.
At the time of publication, the total signatories stand at 10,687, but the number is creeping up all the time. No request for funding has been made by the Cornwall Aviation Heritage Center, although the petition states that it "may run a funding campaign separately should the situation require."
You can find the petition here.
The Heritage Centre is home to more than 20 airplanes of all shapes and sizes, as well as thousands of exhibits. Most of the airplane exhibits are military, with some wonderful historical aircraft under preservation by the facility.
Exhibits include the BAE Harrier, also known as the 'jump jet', and the Hawker Hunter, Britain's first transonic jet fighter. There is also a 1954 English Electric Canberra, as well as an English Electric Lightning - the fastest all-British built airplane ever constructed. Alongside these beauties are many other interesting airframes, from the Hawker Sea Hawk to the Vickers Varsity to the BAE Hawk, the same aircraft used by the famous Red Arrows.
And they haven't completely forgotten commercial. Calling the site home is a BAC 1-11, formerly operated for British Airways out of Manchester. After retiring from BA's fleet, it was used by the Ministry of Defense for research. When it retired in 2012, it was the last 1-11 to ever grace the British skies.
Keeping her company in the commercial heritage field is the original 'queen of the skies', the Vickers VC10. This example was formerly operated by East African Airlines, before being used by the military.
Besides the complete airframes, the museum is home to thousands of parts, memorabilia, tools and other exhibits. Clearly, relocation of such an extensive collection is going to be a near-impossible challenge.
One of the founders and co-owners of the museum, Richard Spencer-Breeze, explained to Cornwall Live that, without any feasible place for the museum to go, the museum will have to close for good. Jobs will be lost and the historic aircraft that call the place home will inevitably have to be scrapped. Few other sites would be willing to take the exhibits, and given the huge cost of transporting them by road, there are unlikely to be other options. He commented,
"It is totally ridiculous and unacceptable that Cornwall Council has refused to meet with us to find a solution and despite making a commitment in our original meeting to help us find a site to relocate to and funding for relocation we have nothing.
"We have given them nine proposals and asked them for the opportunity to sit down around a table to talk about this and we have been refused at every single juncture. We are going to have to close and scrap half the aircraft, if not more.
"The council owns 655 acres of land on this site, we only need six to 10 acres of that, that is all we need. We are not asking for a penny from them, we are happy to pay rent. It will not cost Cornwall Council a single penny for us to be here."
Despite increasing public pressure, Cornwall Council is not backing down. It says that it is its duty to ensure the taxpayer gets maximum value from the land, which is part of Cornwall Airport Newquay. A spokesperson issued the following statement:
"Newquay Airport is an operational airport which is vital to the region's connectivity to the UK. It is currently subsidized by the Cornish taxpayer and Cornwall Council is committed to develop the airport in a way which minimizes this subsidy and continues to develop the site as a key part of Cornwall's transport and business infrastructure.
"As part of this work, the council is reviewing the use of the land at the airport site to ensure the taxpayer is getting the maximum value for money from it and to increase the economic benefit and professional employment opportunities for Cornwall.
"Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre (CAHC) has been a tenant at Newquay Airport since 2015. They signed a disclaimer at that point acknowledging there was no right of renewal when its lease expired in 2021. However, in order to assist the center to find a new site, the Council extended the lease by a further 12 months.
"Cornwall Council and Cornwall Airport Newquay are not responsible for the operation of a private business and securing a site on which to operate is the responsibility of the management of the center.
"Cornwall Council has made it clear to CAHC that we will consider assisting them to move to a new location when a credible, costed and deliverable proposal has been developed. However, this remains the responsibility of the center."
As more people join the call to keep the museum open, perhaps Cornwall Council will be forced to rethink its current stance. You can check the latest updates on the petition here.