Marshall Aerospace submits plans for Cranfield as it plots move out of Cambridge Airport by 2027

Marshall Aerospace has submitted an outline planning application for its move to Cranfield in Bedfordshire - and says it hopes to vacate Cambridge Airport by 2027.

The application sets out plans for a purpose-built facility on the Cranfield University campus and follows the company’s public consultation with residents in the area.

The plans will be considered by Central Bedfordshire Council.

Marshall CEO Kathy Jenkins said: “We are pleased to have reached this important milestone in our Aerospace relocation programme.

“We have been delighted with the response we have had thus far to our proposals to move our Aerospace business to Cranfield with the vast majority of people welcoming the employment opportunities and economic benefits we will bring to the area.

“In parallel with the planning process we are continuing to develop our relationship with Cranfield University and are already collaborating on a range of projects, particularly in the areas of research and skills development, that will underpin our long-term strategic partnership and bring further value to the local economy,”

If it receives planning permission, Marshall Aerospace intends to be operational at Cranfield in 2026.

Cambridge Airport is then expected to be developed for housing. It is earmarked in the emerging proposals for the new Greater Cambridge Local Plan for 2,850 new homes by 2040, but in the longer-term that could rise. When Marshall announced it was planning to move, it was suggested the site had space for an estimated 12,000 homes, as well as five million square feet of business and commercial space

Cllr Richard Wenham, the leader of Central Bedfordshire, said: “Marshall Aerospace is a major player in its field so their plans to move operations to Cranfield Airport would be a significant boost for Central Bedfordshire.

“This is evidence of the extensive work we do to showcase our area as an attractive business location and has the potential to provide exceptional new opportunities for local people to find rewarding, highly skilled work close to home. We are determined to continue to build local prosperity in Central Bedfordshire.”

Cranfield University is developing an Air Park, and Marshall said it was excited by its ambitions to create a ‘global research airport’. The company is collaborating with the university on a number of R&D projects

The plans can be viewed on the Central Bedfordshire Planning Portal using the application number CB/22/04299/OUT.