AMBITIOUS plans to boost passenger numbers at Durham Tees Valley Airport to £1.4m a year have been welcomed by the neighbouring village, a councillor said.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen this week outlined the details of his plans to buy the airport and surrounding land for £40m and bring it back into public ownership.

And residents of Middleton St George, which neighbours the airport, support the plan, Darlington Borough councillor for the area, Doris Jones, said.

Under ‘Ben’s Plan’, some cash drawn down from the Tees Valley Combined Authority’s forward budget of £15m a year for the next 30 years would go towards funding the purchase, investment and initial running costs of the airport.

The Mayor unveiled his turnaround plan ahead of a key vote this week, which will see the Tees Valley Combined Authority’s Cabinet – which comprises the area’s five Labour council leaders and Mr Houchen – either accept or reject the deal.

Mr Houchen said he was “100 per cent certain” that the airport would close with the loss of over 1,000 jobs if his plan is not approved this month.

Mrs Jones, who is a Conservative councillor, said: "It is a no-brainer to turn this plan down.

"All right, the government is to pay £40m to buy it, but it would not actually be worth that much if Darlington's planning committee had not voted in favour of 350 houses on the site which has pushed the land price higher."

She said people welcomed the deal which she said would boost local business – and she said people in Middleton St George wanted to see the airport succeed.

"We want the airport," she said. "This plan is going to create jobs and it is going to provide us with a proper airport again and help businesses in the area.

"If, in the worst case scenario, in four years they are saying it is not working, then at least the airport land is owned publicly and the public purse will benefit from any development of that land.

"It is excellent news for Middleton St George and I am very supportive of Ben's plan."

The deal is on a tight deadline as it will collapse if it is not voted through by the end of the month.

If the plan is rejected airport owners Peel will pull out and extend the planning permission for Miller Homes to build 350 homes next to the terminal – which is likely to spell the death knell for the airport.

Mr Houchen’s proposals include signing a deal with an experienced airport operator and setting up a holding company to run the facility.