Aerospace firm's future base now uncertain

Marshall was founded back in 1909

The future location of an aerospace company is uncertain after a proposed move was deemed to be "no longer affordable".

Marshall Group announced plans in 2019 to leave Cambridge Airport, with 12,000 homes set to be built on the site.

It agreed a "potential relocation" to Cranfield University's base in Bedfordshire, but was now "actively exploring a number of alternative options".

The university's chief executive and vice-chancellor, Dame Karen Holford, said it "isn't the outcome we'd hoped for".

Marshall Group has more than 2,000 employees

The company was founded in 1909 and in 2020 signed an option agreement providing it with "the right to take a 150-year lease" at Cranfield Airport.

Its most recent accounts, published last week, said a strategic review last summer "concluded that all major components of the group's engineering businesses, which currently occupy Cambridge East and the surrounding land, will vacate no later than 2028".

However, on Wednesday, Marshall said "after a lot of work and analysis, we have had to conclude that this proposed location is no longer affordable".

The group, which has more than 2,000 employees, did not expand on the costs involved.

"Our focus remains firmly on securing the long-term future of the business, and we are actively exploring a number of alternative options for relocation," the statement continued.

"Although commercial sensitivities mean we cannot share more detail at this stage, we are committed to providing updates as our plans continue to develop."

The accounts said "2024 was a challenging year" and the group made a loss of £55.5m before tax.

Cranfield boss Dame Holford said of the move's collapse: "This isn't the outcome we'd hoped for, however our airport remains an important asset for the university and a unique facility for research and innovation in the UK.

"The land proposed for development retains long-standing planning permission and we are actively exploring other options for the site."