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Filton Airfield sold for development
The former Filton Airfield has been sold to Malaysian developers for an undisclosed sum, unlocking plans for thousands of new homes.
Planning permission was granted in July for 2,675 new homes which will make up a portion of grand plans to build more than 5,000 new homes in the area by 2035.
The former airfield, from which Concorde and the new A380 superjumbos took off, was closed by BAE Systems in 2012.
The new development will house schools, a community centre, care homes and a new aerospace museum where Bristol’s remaining Concorde will stay.
BAE Systems has sold the 350-acre site to YTL Utilities in a move brokered by Alder King and Savills.
YTL Utilities, a major infrastructure conglomerate which runs energy companies and construction firms and owns dozens of hotels, already owns Wessex Water.
The company’s track record was praised after the sale by Colin Skellet, chairman of subsidiary YTL Homes, Wessex Water and the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership.
“We are delighted to have acquired this significant site which is a strategically important development for South Gloucestershire and the South West region.
“YTL has a proven track record of developing new communities within Asia and is keen to bring this expertise to the UK. We look forward to working with local stakeholders to create an aspirational development that reflects the history of this very special place,” he said.
Mike Craddock, from BAE Systems, said: “We wanted to ensure that we chose a buyer with the skills and track record to deliver the vision for the redevelopment of this regionally important brownfield site.
BAE Systems gave a long-term lease and £2.4 million to the new aerospace museum on the former airfield which is expected to open in 2017.
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