An aerial view of Cambridge Airport site in Cambridgeshire

Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group has revealed plans to relocate its Cambridge-based operations in the UK to a new site by 2030.

The company will leave its base at Cambridge Airport and is currently looking for a suitable airfield location that will support its planned growth.

The proposed facility is expected to be close to Cambridge with Cranfield, Duxford and Wyton being the preferred options.

Over the coming months, Marshall will assess the feasibility of these three preferred locations before finalising the new site.

Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group chief executive Alistair McPhee said: “Having now completed a significant piece of work to identify and define our new organisational purpose and long-term growth ambition, it has become increasingly clear that a move to new, purpose-built facilities will afford us a fantastic opportunity to fulfil our true potential as a business.

“It is still very early days but we know that finding the right airfield location that will give us the necessary space and flexibility to support our planned growth, which is close enough to Cambridge to enable us to retain and attract talent, will be a complex and time-consuming task.”

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McPhee reiterated that the company will continue to operate from the Cambridge site, while planning for its long-term future.

Marshall plans to invest more than £30m over the next five years to upgrade existing infrastructure at Cambridge site.

The company has already informed the local authorities and other stakeholders to put its existing site forward for development ‘as part of the next Local Plan from 2030’. This will help finance the relocation, Marshall noted.

“It has become increasingly clear that a move to new, purpose-built facilities will afford us a fantastic opportunity to fulfil our true potential as a business.”

Expressing concerns over the company’s proposed move, Unite union Regional officer Roger Dillon said: “Unite is very disappointed that we were not involved in the discussions prior to the announcement.”

Around 900 Marshall employees are members of the union.

In a release, South Cambridgeshire District Council stated that the company’s site could potentially provide thousands of new homes and business space.

The Local Plan is a strategic planning document that is intended to guide the area’s future ambitions and promote sustainable growth.

Marshall offered the airport site as a site option for the previous Local Plans of Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire District councils. However, the company later withdrew its offer.