Northumberland rulers have become the last in the North East to reject calls to rename Newcastle International Airport to include Sunderland.
Newcastle city bosses have already scoffed at the offer, calling the move “silly”.
And they have now been joined by Northumberland County Council, which has also scorned calls to “consider appropriate options for renaming the airport that will best reflect the area it serves.”
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“There has been a tendency to suggest that Newcastle airport becomes ‘Newcastle and Sunderland’ or ‘Sunderland and Newcastle’ airport,” said Glen Sanderson, head of the county council.
“This is something that I am not particularly favorable to and therefore my own vote on it, in the context of the detention of the airport by the local authorities, would be to disagree.”
Councilor Sanderson was speaking at a full County Council meeting, which was held in person at County Hall, Morpeth, but also streamed online.
The seven North East councils – Newcastle, Sunderland, Durham, Gateshead, North Tyneside, Northumberland and South Tyneside – hold a controlling 51% stake in the airport.
Suggestions that it could be renamed were originally made by the Liberal Democrat opposition Wearside group, which argued that Sunderland was entitled to as big a say on the transport hub as Tyneside.
“Renaming the airport to ‘Newcastle Sunderland’ would be a major boost to put Sunderland on the map as an ambitious city that is serious about attracting new jobs, businesses and investment,” said Lib Dem city councilor Paul Edgeworth.
“It would also help to support and promote the university and is part of the desire to regenerate the city center and invest in our tourism and our culture.”
Originally called a “gimmick” by ruling Labor bosses in Sunderland, a city council vote ended up approving the project, but instead suggested it could be renamed after a public figure, such as John Lennon Airport. from Liverpool.