Concerns are growing that the next owners of Gloucestershire Airport may ultimately seek to capitalize on the site’s substantial development value rather than maintain its aviation function. The 350-acre Staverton airport, co-owned by Cheltenham Borough Council and Gloucester City Council, has been on the market since last year. Councillors are set to decide on Thursday, June 26, whether to proceed with the recommended sale.
Gloucestershire Airport operates as an active general aviation hub, hosting roughly 65,000 aircraft movements in 2024, making it one of the UK’s busiest in its category. The facility includes two runways, a terminal building, control tower, fire and fuel stations, hangars, and associated infrastructure. Alongside aviation services, the airport manages two business parks leasing units mainly to aviation-related companies, generating some rental income to support operations.
There are also parcels of land, such as the CGX site—which has planning permission for approximately 30,000 m² of employment floorspace—available for development. Despite official statements from council leaders and airport management affirming that the airport business will be sold as a going concern with restrictions preventing non-aviation uses, persistent skepticism surrounds the future of the site.
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Many fear the site’s guide price of £25 million seriously undervalues the land, which could be worth up to £250 million if repurposed for real estate development. A local resident, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed frustration in a letter to the Echo and Citizen, highlighting that the airport owes nearly £15.5 million in accumulated debt to the councils, and that the airport’s economic contribution figures have been overstated.
“It’s hard to justify the airport’s £50 million annual economic impact claim when 80 percent of its traffic comprises small planes performing repeat circuits,” the letter stated. The airport reportedly operates at a loss of around £3 million annually on a turnover near £3.5 million, funded in part by taxpayer subsidies that have often been criticized, especially given pressures on public services.
The airport’s historically low landing fees were recently raised, provoking discontent among users, raising questions about financial sustainability under new ownership. Business aviation movements have seen a 26% decline from 2015 to 2024, according to Civil Aviation Authority data, further challenging hopes that increased business jet traffic will revitalize the airport.
Critics argue that the councils’ hopefulness has prolonged an unsustainable operation, allowing commercial interests to potentially exploit the land’s development potential. Described now as a ‘grey belt’ site with considerable development prospects, locals worry that the eventual fate of the airport will be conversion into housing or commercial property once its operational viability is conclusively disproven.
“It is a missed opportunity for councillors to ignore the airport land as a prime, sustainable alternative for housing development,” the resident added. The sale signals an end to decades of municipal financial support and stirs debate about whether taxpayer interests and the duty to achieve ‘best value’ are truly being served.
Both Cheltenham Borough Council and Gloucester City Council have declined to comment on the sale and future plans.