Strong interest in airport purchase - councils

There has been "strong level" of interest in buying an airport, including from a leading business entrepreneur, council leaders say.

A previous planned sale of Gloucestershire Airport, which is jointly owned by Gloucester City Council and Cheltenham Borough Council, and running at an annual loss of about £2.1m, fell through in March after eight months of negotiations.

Julian Dunkerton, who co-founded the clothing brand Superdry, said he was now teaming up with an airport operator to make an offer on the airport to "protect its future".

The councils said they would update on the bidding process in due course.

Dunkerton said: "This bid is about protecting our airport for the next 25 years and creating opportunities for businesses to grow.

"Our ambition is to keep jobs, investment and opportunity here."

In a joint statement, Gloucester City Council and Cheltenham Borough Council said: "We have been extremely pleased with the strong level of interest in Gloucestershire Airport, with a significant number of companies coming forward to bid to purchase it.

"A robust assessment process has been managed by the property company Savills and we expect to confirm a preferred bidder imminently. For commercial reasons, the identities of all parties will remain confidential."

Julian Dunkerton and his wife Jade Holland Cooper, who is also an entrepreneur, have previously protected heritage buildings in the county, built businesses and employed hundreds of people.

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