Portland Helicopter to continue

[tome]

A Coastguard helicopter will continue to be based at the old Royal Naval Base in Portland, Shipping Minister David Jamieson has announced.

The old Royal Naval Base is owned by the South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) and is being developed commercially.

Mr Jamieson said:

"I am delighted that the long period of uncertainty over the future of the helicopter base at Portland has come to an end. Discussions have taken place with SWRDA over many months to find a workable solution for funding the base. The Government has listened very carefully to all the arguments for and against moving the helicopter base and I am now satisfied that a viable way forward has been found to keep the base at Portland within the current SWRDA development plans."

MCA Chief Executive Maurice Storey said:

"I am extremely pleased that this matter has been resolved. We can now agree a new contract for the continued provision of the helicopter from May 2003."

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[Twister_Ken]

3 cheers for all who lobbied.

So all that guff about the SAR base being vulneravble to flooding and not a suitable place to park a helo was just so much - errr - male gonads, then?<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Twister_Ken on 25/02/2003 13:59 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[wakeup]

Nah this is just another spin tacktic from Tony B

So just another Tony Blair scam, you pretend that doe to funding constraints that you are having to consider shutting down a base or maintenance centre, big impact on jobs etc, everyone lobbys their MP and at the last minute all of a suddent the government manages to find a way to keep the base going and therefore acting as heroes to the local community and special interest groups. They've just done this in Wales also with the RAF maintenance centre, funny how the contractors were able to start within two days of the announcement that the invetment in the base was going to go ahead. I bet this is going on else where also. A very cheap way to swing/keep voters IMHO

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[Twister_Ken]

Where can I join...

...the club of fully paid-up cynics?

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[wakeup]

Sign right here....nm

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[tcm]

watchit - he\'s probably in with them too! (nm)

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[wakeup]

Who me or him?? nm.

d

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[LadyInBed]

In the words of Maggie

Rejoice!

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[tcm]

Both, I bet. Typical stitchup! nm

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