[REVISION HISTORY]

Cornwall Council Spaceport grant controversy

Updated 1 time since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-07 05:38 UTC → 2026-08-18 18:36 UTC · added ~~removed~~

In late July ~~2026~~ 2026, Cornwall Council began probing a confidential settlement linked to former councillor Louis Gardner. Gardner had approved a £200,000 grant for Spaceport Cornwall while holding a senior economic portfolio, a move later judged to breach the council’s code of conduct on five points. After a week as head of Spaceport Cornwall, he resigned on the day of the May 1, 2025 elections. Monitoring officer Paul Grant disclosed that a secret agreement was signed to facilitate Gardner’s exit and to protect the airport company from potential tribunal claims, with a payment exceeding £100,000 kept confidential. By early August ~~2026~~ 2026, further details ~~emerged. Gardner had taken a~~ emerged regarding Gardner’s transition to chief operating officer ~~role~~ at Open Skies ~~Network,~~ Network (OSN), an ~~air‑space~~ air-space infrastructure ~~provider, while the undisclosed payout was under scrutiny.~~ provider. Councillor Andrew Mitchell called for a full investigation into how Gardner obtained both positions and the secret settlement, labeling the arrangement unacceptable. In response, Cornwall Council withdrew the £200,000 funding. On August 18, 2026, the CEO of Open Skies Network defended Gardner’s employment, stating he is an “asset to the company and the community.” OSN clarified that the organization has received no funding or investment from Cornwall Council, Corserv, or Cornwall Newquay Airport. The controversy continues to focus on the non-disclosure agreement signed between Gardner and ~~faced heightened scrutiny over its handling~~ Corserv, a group of ~~the breach.~~ companies owned by Cornwall Council.

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