LIB DEM MP Mike Thornton rightly enthuses that Southampton Airport, situated in the Borough of Eastleigh, is a major asset (Echo July 30).
It is indeed a superbly run, long standing success story that has a huge and positive impact, both in terms of reputation and economic contribution. The airport, he says, is worth £100m per year to the surrounding area and provides 1,000 jobs.
However, compared to other claims made by his council, it would appear this operation is seriously under-performing.
They really should re-appoint their Professor in Tourism, pay the £3,000 fee, and seek his “independent assessment” of the airport’s economic value to the local economy.
After all, the inclusion of the hotel at the so named “Rose Bowl Resort Complex” is supposed to help induce £55m per annum of economic benefit to the local economy and create 520 odd jobs!
Isn’t it amazing what can be done with statistics, even those produced against an unreliable and flawed basis?
J. C. MARTIN, Hedge End.
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