Gloucestershire Airport sale set for April deadline, say owners

A previous deal to offload the transport hub at Staverton collapsed earlier this year

Council chiefs are hoping to sell off Gloucestershire Airport by April “at the latest”, a local authority leader has said. The 375-acre transport hub at Staverton is currently on the market for a guide price of £25m, with final bids closing on September 30.

In March, a deal to offload the airport by its owners – Cheltenham Borough Council and Gloucester City Council – to preferred buyer Horizon Aero Group collapsed after the authorities said they could not accept the terms of the sale.

The councils relisted the airport for sale in June after receiving “a number of approaches” from interested parties and have since said they have received a “good number of enquiries” about the site.

Jeremy Hilton, leader of Gloucester City Council, said last week the authorities are hoping to offload the airport by the end of the financial year.

Speaking at a council meeting, he said: “We’re hoping to get to a situation where we’ve confirmed a buyer and sold the airport by the end of this financial year at the latest, but it could well be earlier than that. But don’t take that as absolute, that’s the intention.

“The issue, as we know, is that when you are selling something you don’t always get to sell it on the day you think you’re going to sell it – sometimes it takes longer.”

The airport, which is home to some 50 businesses, handles more than 66,000 flights a year, but has struggled financially in recent times. In April, it was reported the airport had filed a £2.1m loss for the previous financial year.

Councillor Rowena Hay, leader of Cheltenham Borough Council, said earlier this year the council was “hopeful” the renewed sale process would attract “the right partner for the airport’s future”.

“We will work with partners and stakeholders to update as the new sale process proceeds,” she said at the time.

In 2021, both local authorities borrowed £7.5m to spend on improvements to Gloucestershire Airport. But, according to Gloucester City Council’s head of finance, the airport has failed to make any repayments on the loan since 2022.

“I think quarterly check in with the airport is fine when it’s business as usual, but at a critical crisis point I would have said we should be contacting them almost weekly,” said Stephanie Chambers, leader of the Conservative group.

Andrew Hearne, director of place, assets and regeneration, told the meeting that officers are in weekly contact with Gloucestershire airport chiefs.