Eddie Stobart's dreams of taking to the skies as Stobart Air must wait at least another month while its planning application is considered by a government planning officer. The plans, which also include moving the haulage company from its Kingstown, Carlisle base to the site of the city's disused airport, are entering the final stages of the approval process.
They will be put before the local authority's committee this week the Government Office for the North West then has 28 days to mull them over, and could delay the process further by calling for a public inquiry. Although the move may be turning into a saga, Stobart boss Andrew Tinkler remains optimistic:
"There are a few issues over the conditions they are trying to put on us. But [the decision] should be favourable. There will be 28 days to make sure all the boxes are ticked, then hopefully it will be approved." The company's Kingstown lease expires 
in February 2009. Tinkler has previously said the firm might have to leave the county if it cannot secure agreement on a move to the airport.