More taxpayer cash for Newquay 'Aerohub' (From This is The West Country)

More taxpayer cash for Newquay 'Aerohub'

1:00pm Wednesday 27th February 2013 in Cornwall

The 'Aerohub' at Newquay Airport will be applying for taxpayer cash to 'to accelerate development projects' at the site.

The money would come from an 'Enterprise Zone Infrastructure Fund' from the Department of Communities and Local Government.

The £60m fund is being targeted at Enterprise Zones which have "real short term growth potential" and is aimed at unlocking key infrastructure projects.

Aerohub @ Newquay Cornwall Airport was approved in August 2011.

Two investors have relocated to the "Enterprise Zone", the Classic Air Force opens its doors next month, and Ainscough Wind Energy Services, who intend to expand into the Aerohub Business Park once it is developed.

The bid for investment support from the fund will include future projects such as:

• Aerohub Business Park - opening up a 90 acre development site on the south side of the airport. Investment is required to provide roads and services to the site that could soon provide the largest planning free development zone in the UK.

• Hangars and other Business premises: development on the Airport and Business Park employment space to specific need from new investors from aerospace/aviation and other sectors.

• Technical Skills Centre: the delivery of an engineering and flight training centre of excellence. These projects will allow Aerohub to realise its potential and "could" result in over 750 jobs on the Enterprise Zone by 2015.

Chris Pomfret, Chair of the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership, said in particular they would be looking at the "potential to accelerate the development of the Aerohub Business Park and associated transport links".

Miles Carden, Enterprise Zone manager for Cornwall Development Company said: “Our Enterprise Zone has already attracted a high quality pipeline of investor enquiries, but this funding would allow infrastructure to be put in place to make the site ‘oven ready’ for businesses to move straight in. Put simply it will allow us to do much more much quicker.”

Aerohub, launched by the Minister of State for Business & Enterprise last year, is England’s only entirely aerospace focused Enterprise Zone on an operational airport and is the largest single development site in the South West.