A former employee of Cornwall county council has been appointed by the current chairman to chair an inquiry into the closure of the council owned Newquay Airport in December.

John Mills is a former chief executive of the county council and his appointment to chair what is described as an “independent inquiry” has not gone down well.

Jude Robinson, a Labour party candidate for Camborne and Hayle said: “I am horrified at David Whalley's decision to put John Mills in charge of the airport inquiry. This smacks of old boys' networks and more.”

Mr Mills may think it was not an issue but it is what the electorate thought that mattered.

“It will just add to the disdain that many people feel for the county council,” she said.

“This inquiry will have no credibility - if it comes up with no serious errors, it will be laughed out of the county.” Millions of pounds in taxpayers' money have gone into the airport and the closure in December was labelled “a fiasco”.

The inquiry has been set up to identify the reasons for the failure to ensure the uninterrupted transfer of Newquay Cornwall Airport from military to civilian control. A spokesman for Mr Whalley said Mr Mills would have full access to all relevant county council papers and to council staff.

The report due in the spring will be considered at a meeting of the county council’s executive.

The Inquiry will examine a number of key issues including : The overall plan, project management and internal management processes of the Airport Transition Project.

The financial impact of the closure.

The management of the supply chain and contractors.

The relationships and dealings with the Ministry of Defence.

The management of the media issues before, during and after the closure.

The management of customer relations during and after the closure.

The liaison with partners (including the airlines) before, during and after the closure.

The political interface within the county council .

The corporate working of the Airport team and any early warnings of the likelihood of closure.

Mr Mills retired from the Civil Service in 2007 and was appointed as a non-executive director of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, where he is currently acting chairman.

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