Leading aerospace industry chiefs are hearing proposals for building the UK's first spaceport near Campbeltown, Argyll and Bute.

A delegation between DiscoverSpace UK and Argyll and Bute Council, led by local MP Brendan O'Hara, is attending a parliamentary reception at Westminster today, 24 January.

Industry experts, along with 650 MPs, will hear the case for building the spaceport facility at the site in Kintyre. The former Nato base at Machrihanish is aiming to become the centre of space tourism in the UK.

The proposed spaceport covers an area of over 1000 acres, boasts the UK's longest runway at over three kilometres and is located away from major centres of population and congested airspace.

A consortium between the council, DiscoverSpace UK and Highlands and Islands Enterprise is currently working on creating a bid for a licence.

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Cllr Aileen Morton said: "The consortium has been working hard lobbying and promoting the site.

"The parliamentary reception provides an opportunity to present the exciting and ambitious proposal to all the country's MPs as well as leading aerospace industry representatives. They will be able to hear about all the benefits of siting the UK's first spaceport in Argyll and Bute."

"We are intent on embracing industries of the future and with the UK Space Industry creating up to 100,000 jobs by 2030, our focus is on bringing some of these jobs to our area, growing our economy and attracting even more people to live and work here. With this rapidly growing industry estimated to generate £19billion by 2020, and £40billion by 2030, we want our area to have a significant role."

Tom Millar, Chairman of DiscoverSpace UK and Machrihanish Airbase Community Company, added: "Our site offers enormous scope with a runway of more than 3,000 meters and large areas of land available for development, allied to a positive and supportive planning framework put in place by Argyll and Bute Council.

"Our safety case is very strong as the site is in a depopulated area and offers the ability to launch directly over the sea. The community of South Kintyre is behind our spaceport ambitions and I see these as part of our overall strategy to deliver long-term economic growth to the area."

(LM)