The States of Guernsey have again agreed to spend up to £24million on essential work at Alderney’s airport.
Having previously agreed for work to be carried out on the runway and airport buildings in 2022, when the £24m budget was originally set, the project collapsed in 2024 when the cheapest tender came in £13m over that budget.
The plans have since been redrawn with the States yesterday agreeing to give Policy and Resources delegated authority to go out to tender again.
Deputy Yvonne Burford led the debate for Policy and Resources. She said P&R will now work with Alderney’s States and the States Trading Supervisory Board to ensure the process gets started this year.
“To finalise the tender process in time for the 2027 summer season, when weather conditions would allow the work to be undertaken more easily, the (tender) process needs to commence next month,” she explained.
“Any delay will slip the project by a full year due to the need for work to be undertaken in the summer months, pushing construction to 2028.”
With previous tenders having come in way over budget, but the work on the runway and terminal and fire service buildings growing more urgent, Deputy Burford insisted that the costs will not be allowed to escalate over the maximum amount allocated.
“I wish to be clear that both the Policy and Resources Committee and the States’ Trading Supervisory Board are going to be all over this project like a rash, doing everything possible to ensure that costs are kept to an absolute minimum.
“£24m is a maximum, not a target,” she added.
The proposed work remains the same as previously, with the rehabilitation of the runway at the centre of the project. Work will also be carried out to the airport terminal building and the airport fire service buildings.
The tender process will determine what work is carried out in each area, and how much.
Deputy Burford said time has essentially run out to do this work, so they have to get on with it now.
“I fully sympathise with those members who consider this sum to be excessive for what could fundamentally be defined as a half a mile strip of 75 foot wide concrete or asphalt, but Alderney does present very significant logistical challenges for a construction project of this nature, and that adds cost,” she explained.
“It is true that small, robust aircraft like the Twin Otter can land safely on beaches and grass strips much shorter than Alderney’s runway, and graded gravel strips within the UK, but once major rehabilitation works are required, adherence with the latest standards is requirement of the regulator.
“It has not helped that dire warnings of imminent permanent runway closure have been issued for the last five years at least, but it is true that it’s currently costing £400,000 a year in patching, and this is not sustainable indefinitely.
“The risk of enforced closure by the regulator does exist, should greater structural degradation occur.
“I don’t think it’s overstating it to say the runway is operating on borrowed time, and it’s not clear how much more borrowing we can do.”
The policy letter was approved by 32 deputies. Just deputies Simon Vermeulen, Liam McKenna, and Neil Inder voted against.