TWO of the region’s council leaders have given their backing to a new long-term rescue plan for Durham Tees Valley Airport, which could see land sold for up to 400 houses at the site.

Six local authorities - Darlington, County Durham, Stockton, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and Redcar and Cleveland – are minority shareholders in DTVA, which is majority owned by the Peel Group.

The company unveiled its latest proposals for the loss-making airport earlier this week, with the millions expected to be generated by house-building set to be invested in new aircraft hangars and the expansion of the Northside Employment Park.

The masterplan has provoked a mixed reaction from local MPs, but the leaders of Darlington and Stockton Borough Councils have given their support to the proposals.

Bill Dixon, leader of Darlington Borough Council and a local authority board member at DTVA, said the masterplan was vital to maintain the Tees Valley’s air links.

He said the vice president of major Darlington employer, Cummins, had flown into the region via Schiphol in Holland on Wednesday, highlighting how important the airport was.

“Being realistic the airport needs to live within its means or face virtual closure,” he said.

“In terms of the masterplan this is the best outcome we could have hoped for.”

His counterpart at Stockton Borough Council, Councillor Robert Cook, is also on the DTVA board.

He too backs the plan, saying: “It’s very important that the airport survives – obviously the KLM service gives us a link to the world.

“I think it’s important that the master plan is looked at as a whole and not just because it includes housing.

“A few years we were trying to develop the Southside business park and hopefully this plan will help that come to fruition in the near future.”

DTVA has launched a two-month consultation into the masterplan which can be viewed on-line at dtva-master-plan.co.uk Consultation events will be held at the St George Hotel, beside the airport from 3pm to 7pm on November 21; The Dolphin Centre, in Darlington, from 3pm to 8pm on November 28 and at Stockton Central Library from 8.30am until 6pm on December 6.

A further event is planned in Middlesbrough at a date yet to be set.