Prestwick Spaceport plans axed by South Ayrshire Council
They are switching focus as part of the growth deal
South Ayrshire Council has dropped the Prestwick Spaceport from its plans connected with the Ayrshire Growth Deal.
Back in 2023, the local authority appeared alongside Prestwick Airport to launch the bid, aimed at boosting Scotland’s space industry ambitions and creating an important strategic asset for the UK.
The aerospace hub was to be funded with a £80 million investment from the £250m Ayrshire Growth Deal funding.
This money - a partnership being driven forward by the Scottish Government, the UK Government, and East, North and South Ayrshire Councils – was available to ‘realise Ayrshire's potential and become a world-class business region for the aerospace and space, energy, marine, manufacturing and tourism industries.’
However now, South Ayrshire Council has told Clyde 1 Ayrshire they have redirected their focus.
A spokesperson said: “South Ayrshire Council is continuing to push forward on key projects within the Ayrshire Growth Deal.
“Projects are reviewed on an ongoing basis in terms of both their ability to support economic growth and their deliverability.
“Going forward, the Spaceport will not be considered as part of this work, nor progressed further through the AGD process.”
The Scottish Government insists Ayrshire still has a big part to play in the future of any space sector in this country, while admitting they are ‘disappointed’ in South Ayrshire Council’s decision.
A Scottish Government Spokesperson said: “Both Scottish and UK Government Ministers have accepted a South Ayrshire Council proposal that the Prestwick Spaceport is no longer being taken forward as part of the Ayrshire Growth Deal.
“Whilst disappointing, Scottish Ministers are clear that the Ayrshire region has the people, the skills and key strategic assets and infrastructure with which to capture a significant part of Scotland’s aerospace and burgeoning space sector.
“Scottish Ministers look forward to working constructively with AGD partners to agree new projects to be taken forward using funding previously committed to the spaceport project and are confident that these will focus on and build on South Ayrshire’s clear strengths in aerospace.
“As evidenced at this week’s Space-Comm Expo in Glasgow attended by Scottish Ministers, Scotland is well on the way to becoming a European leader in the space sector.
“The latest available data shows that the number of space-related companies based in Scotland rose by 25 per cent in the space of a year, with the sector’s total income increasing by 65 per cent over the same period - demonstrating the phenomenal scale of opportunity before us.”
Scottish Conservative MSP Brian Whittle says it is time to move on from the Prestwick Spacehub idea.
He cited satellite manufacturing firm Mangata axing plans for a site there in April showing there isn’t enough workforce to match ambition, something he witnessed in person during a recent visit.
He said: “Every single engineer works we spoke to around about the airport are looking to expand, and the reason they can’t expand is because they can’t get the workforce.
“So, let’s look at, strategically how we can take the disappointment of Mangata, and the disappointment of the spaceport no longer going ahead, and look at how we can develop some really excellent industry around Prestwick Airport.”