THE States knew at least seven years ago that essential runway repairs were needed. Flybe this week criticised delays in getting the work done because it means it is unable to bring its new Embraer 195 jets into Guernsey fully laden.

Public Services minister Bill Bell conceded things would have happened more quickly in the private sector.

‘I’m sure things can always be done quicker, but with procedures required for tendering it can be difficult to make the progress you could in a normal commercial organisation,’ he said.

He said debate over building the new terminal and extending the runway had slowed the whole process.

In 2001, the department’s predecessor, the Board of Administration, had been required to relocate the terminal because the CAA had ruled that the old one was too close to the runway. Failure to do so would have meant that BAe146 jets, as used by Flybe, would no longer have been able to land here.

‘The priority of the board had to be relocating that terminal,’ said Deputy Bell.

A report the same year identified a need for rehabilitation work on the runway and taxiing and apron areas. The report was produced when debate on a runway extension was taking place.

An extension was turned down in 2001 and again in 2003 but an amendment that year forced the board to commission more research into its viability and seek tenders.

Deputy Bell said that had proved very time-consuming. His department took over in 2004 following the review of the machinery of government. In May of that year, it gave airport management approval to seek tenders for a pavement condition survey.

The new terminal opened in April 2004 but was not finished until November of that year. The later work involved the aprons, which again impacted on the area as a whole.

The pavement condition survey was carried out in 2004 and the consultants reported back to the department the following April.

The survey was incorporated into a draft pavement rehabilitation report, finalised by the board in January 2006. A project team was set up and it met that March for the first time.

An advert for potential consultants was circulated in May 2006 and tender documents were issued in November, to be returned by January of last year. RPS Burks Green was engaged soon afterwards and the board will discuss its report soon.

Deputy Bell said he could understand why people would think progress had been slow.

The cost of repair work and a possible extension to the runway are listed as an action point in the Strategic Economic Plan, part of the Government Business Plan, approved by the States in July.

Deputy Chief Minister Stuart Falla said each department had its own mandate and they were not obliged to keep others informed of their progress.

The Government Business Plan would ensure that from now on things could be monitored, probably every six months or so.

‘It’s not been there in the past ‘monitoring’ but it will be in future,’ he said.

‘Talk about the airport runway is not something that has come out of the blue and it’s been highlighted only because Flybe has chosen to make a noise about it,’ he said.