COUNCIL chiefs and airfield bosses are set for a High Court battle over a dispute about rent increases at Wycombe Air Park.

Air park manager Tim Orchard said he was “astonished” about the 1,600 per cent rise which he fears will ruin businesses and says could leave over 200 staff out of work but Wycombe District Council said it was merely seeking a “fair rent” for the taxpayer.

WAP currently pays £42,800 per year but this would change to £676,000.

The 42 year lease began in 1972 is reviewed every seven years.

WDC sought advice on a rent review of the site, which was due in September 2007 from London valuers Gerald Eve.

It concluded that WDC had previously “significantly undervalued the true commercial value of the site”.

However, the air park – owned by Airways Aero Associations Ltd (AAA) - disputed the revaluation and it was agreed to be referred to an independent expert.

It said the process was “unfair” because the expert had not been given full details of the history behind previous rent reviews and planning permissions on the airfield.

It called for an injunction because the expert had already started his assessment.

Mr Orchard said: “AAA was astonished when WDC made it's first suggestion of a rent increase when it realised the increase was 1,600% on the annual rent.

“The lease which AAA has with WDC calls for it to pay an amenity  rent only for 40 years and with WDC’s knowledge has based its business structure on that premise.

“In any event, neither AAA nor any one in the airfield tenants could generate sufficient funds  in its bona fide business to pay a 1600% increase, particularly as the rents would be back dated for two years.

“The suggestion that the parties went to an independent expert has not been turned down by AAA, It is merely that WDC wished the expert to determine current and future rents, but without the expert having been given full details of the history behind a number of previous rent reviews and planning permissions on the airfield.

“This would have been unfair to both sides.

“AAA has continually offered to pay a reasonable increase in the rent and has also offered to go to mediation.

“However, currently it appears that the court process may be AAA's only course of action to avoid WDC forcing approximately 200 workers onto the job market and ruining a dozen businesses.

“The airfield and its tenants contribute several hundreds of thousands of pounds per year to the local coffers in business rates.

“This, too, would be lost to the community should WDC push AAA and the airfield workers into oblivion.”

WDC spokesman Jeff Willmore said: “The council has a legal duty to ensure that it obtains ‘best consideration reasonably obtainable’ for its assets on behalf of the council taxpayer.

“Where leases and rent reviews are involved, this can become complex – as is the case here.”

“This revaluation resulted in Wycombe Airpark disputing the rent review.

“The council believes it has behaved reasonably and sought to obtain a fair rent on behalf of the taxpayer.

“Had the independent expert been allowed by Wycombe Airpark to get on with his determination, the council believes that the dispute would by now have been resolved.”