Airport latest

The airport is jointly owned by Brighton and Hove city and Worthing borough councils, and they will separately vote on whether to accept a bid from the Erinaceous Group PLC to operate it.

The chairman of the airport management board, Brighton and Hove councillor Don Turner, commented: "A viable, working airport offers jobs and the best protection of the strategic green gap between Shoreham and Lancing. Otherwise pressure for a new town of houses or retail park will become enormous."

The company's plans for the airport include keeping the 27 staff who currently work there, a new railway station and park-and-ride, and running more commercial flights from Shoreham to Edinburgh, Paris, Amsterdam and Dublin.

Their plans to increase the number of flights are not dependent on moving the existing runway, which had been a contentious issue in the past.

If councillors give the plans the go-ahead Erinaceous Group PLC will take over running the airport in April 2006, with a 150 year lease.

The two airports will still own the airport, as they are retaining the freehold on the airfield.

Worthing council deputy leader Reg Green said: "The airport has huge potential to help meet everyone's aspirations for creating jobs and improving transport.

"The proposal levers in a multi-million pound private sector investment to maintain the airport as an asset for the local economy."

Brighton and Hove councillor Garry Peltzer-Dunn added: "Erinaceous scored well in terms of their proposals for protecting or creating jobs and for looking after the interests of airport employees.

"They also plan to set up a community consultation body as a vital sounding board for future plans."