'Timing is right' for Gloucestershire Airport sale - council leader

The "timing is right" for Gloucestershire Airport to be sold, a council leader says.

Gloucester City Council and Cheltenham Borough Council are looking for new owners for the Staverton airport.

The site has been run by Gloucestershire Airport Ltd since 1993, in which both councils have a 50% shareholding.

Council leaders say they are committed to preserving the airport as a centre for aviation.

Questions about the airport's future were raised at a Gloucester City Council overview and scrutiny committee meeting on Monday, amid claims council leaders were considering selling the site before Christmas.

Gloucestershire Airport Ltd has a 999 year lease on the site and manages both commercial and aviation-related activities.

Cheltenham Borough Council leader Rowena Hay said: "The future of the airport and the contribution both the airport and the businesses located there make to the regional economy is well recognised.

"The timing is now right for both councils to bring in a new owner to take it forward."

Some councillors raised concerns they had been kept in the dark about the plans, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Councillor Jeremy Hilton told the meeting there was no reference to the potential sale in the city council's forward plan.

"I would hope there would be full discussion within this council of the options if there is any suggestion that Gloucestershire Airport is put up for sale," he said.

He added he had been told a UK-based company with no previous experience in operating an airport had shown interest in buying the site.

Gloucestershire Airport received a multi-million pound investment in 2021, which included closing the north-south runway and freeing up surplus land for development.

Airport director Jason Ivey said: "The airport's a real asset for Gloucestershire and with the right investment it can play an even greater role in unlocking regional growth and supporting exciting projects like the Golden Valley development."

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