'All options open' after sale of airport collapses

The leader of Gloucester City Council says the authority is "looking at all options" when it comes to the future of Gloucestershire Airport after the collapse of its proposed sale.

It was revealed last week that the £25m deal to sell the 375-acre site to Horizon Aero Group had collapsed after eight months of negotiations.

Councillor Jeremy Hilton said all "realistic" proposals were now under review, adding that he was "very keen and supportive" of it remaining as an operational airport.

One business owner on the site said he was not surprised the deal fell through and has urged joint owners, Gloucester City Council and Cheltenham Borough Council, to provide certainty and stability.

Mr Hilton said Horizon Aero Group was unable to "secure the required funding" for the sale after one of the partners pulled out.

He added that the councils were taking time to "property consider the best way forward" in order to "achieve the best possible outcome".

Mr Hilton would not confirm whether this meant putting the airport back on the market as a going concern.

The two councils have said their "first priority is to support the businesses on the airfield", and that they are looking at ways to reduce the annual operating costs as it is currently running at a loss.

Leader of Cheltenham Borough Council, Rowena Hay, said she was disappointed with the outcome.

"Meaningful engagement with those directly connected with the site is our first priority," she said.

"We will then be in the best possible position to review all options, with the aim of securing a positive outcome.''

Despite the reassurances, businesses on the airfield have expressed frustration with the uncertainty caused by the collapsed sale.

Several told the BBC they were not surprised, and questioned whether the proposed buyers had the expertise to run the airport – which is the busiest general aviation site in the UK.

Darren Lewington is a former operations director at Gloucestershire Airport and runs Aerotiques at the site.

He said there was "genuine concern" the sale process had "dragged on for an inordinate amount of time".

"It's prevented people from making investments and running their businesses efficiently and effectively," he said.

"Everyone wants certainty about the short, medium and long term future of the airport."

The two councils have faced criticism from opposition councillors who claim there has been poor communication around the failure of the sale.

Conservative leader on Gloucester City Council, Stephanie Chambers, said her group heard about the collapse of the deal in the press, and Labour group leader, Terry Pullen, said the Liberal Democrat administrations had been "secretive" about what the "plan B" is for the site.

A spokesperson for Gloucester City Council refuted the claims.

"As in any sales process of this nature, at times, we have been unable to speak publicly about certain elements because of legal and commercial restrictions," they said.

"We announced that the sale would not be going ahead as soon as we were able to.

"Councillors were emailed with the news before the story appeared in the media."

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