Gloucestershire Airport is matching the county’s ambitions for economic growth during the recovery from Covid-19 by submitting a planning application for an expansion of its employment sites.
The new business park will create space for around 1,750 new jobs by developing a site between the existing Anson and Meteor business parks.
New offices and industrial units will comprise the bulk of the 35,000 sq m development at the Staverton site, which lies in an area of strategic economic growth. The rest of the site will be landscaped.
“We are really excited to be able to talk about new jobs coming to the area at this crucial time for the recovery of the economy,” said Gloucestershire Airport’s Commercial Finance Director Karen Taylor. “The location is ideally placed for growth with connections by road and air, and we aim for the airport to be a gateway to growth for the many exciting developments happening in Cheltenham and Gloucester. It is an exciting time for the county and our proposal will allow more businesses to connect to the cyber centre of excellence at West Cheltenham, the significant ambition of Gloucester City and the wider region too.”
The new 8.5-hectare park will sit on land to the north of the Gloucestershire Airport site and replace the northern end of the north/south runway.
Access to the park will be provided by an improved entrance to the junction on the B4063.
The proposals are supported by GFirst LEP, which has confirmed it will provide £1.885 Million in ‘Growth Deal’ funding to support the infrastructure required to deliver the new development.
Tewkesbury Borough Council has recommended that the site is allocated for growth in its Local Plan, which is at an advanced stage and awaits approval from the Secretary of State.
“This is an important part of our growth strategy to deliver a sustainable business as part of our long-term vision,” added Karen Taylor. “Connecting Cheltenham, Gloucester and the Golden Valley with new businesses and airports across Europe will form a crucial part of our success and that of the county.”
Once the application is registered, people will be able to comment on the proposals via Tewkesbury Borough Council’s website.
The new business park would be built on land which is partly used as a north-south runway. This is primarily used as an alternative runway for training flights when operations are impacted by crosswinds. There will therefore be a level of disruption, but the airport is working with its tenants on this matter.
