Three years after scaffolding was put up encasing the Guernsey Airport terminal building, the work could soon start to fix the underlying issues that date back more than 20-years.
The problems started immediately after the new airport was built in 2004, with roof panels repeatedly being blown off during windy weather.
Now, the States’ Trading Supervisory Board wants to spend £6million fixing the problems properly.
The problems were confirmed in 2016 when a structural survey confirmed the roof was the issue and that there were defects that needed fixing.
The scaffolding that can be seen around the terminal building today went up in April 2024, after Storm Ciaran sent roof panels flying the previous winter, with at least one more roof panel dislodged by wind earlier this year.
STSB President, Deputy Mark Helyar said it is now time to sort it all out once and for all.
“We are dealing now with an issue that we inherited, because the root cause of the problem dates back decades,” he said.
“Given the airport is a prime business and travel gateway, we need to address the structural issues with the roof as soon as possible, so that it is safe to remove the scaffolding. With States approval we can begin the tendering exercise, which will help to identify the best value, least cost solution.”
The proposed ‘extensive structural repairs’ could take up to 18 months to complete, with a total estimated cost of £6.1m.
The money would include all contractor and project management costs to fix the roof which is said to be a “relatively complex” curved design.
It has two sections, above each of the terminal’s two storeys, with a steel frame enclosed by roof panels with ‘bullnose eaves’ forming the outer edges, and soffit cladding along the underside.
The roof panels are powder-coated aluminium and have a remaining design life of 20-years.
STSB said the fixing the supporting steel frame would ensure that once the scaffolding is taken down it should not be required again in that time.
