Opposition councillors have expressed “grave concerns” about a £470,000 bailout of Aerospace Bristol. The rescue package from South Gloucestershire Council includes the local authority writing off up to £315,900 of a 10-year loan to the museum where visitors can climb aboard the last Concorde to fly, along with a £154,000 grant over the next four years to restore the number of school trips.
It was included in the Conservative-run council’s annual budget at the 11th hour following additional money from the Government. But Lib Dem Cllr Maggie Tyrrell, co-chair of the authority’s scrutiny commission, said the money for the Bristol Aerospace Collection Trust (BACT), the charity that runs the attraction in Patchway, could have been better spent saving services such as buses.
The proposals were defended by Tory council leader Cllr Toby Savage who said it was vital to support the museum, which is struggling to repay the loan in the wake of the pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis and rising interest rates. Cllr Tyrrell said: “I have grave concerns about the last-minute announcement that over £300,000 will be spent writing off loans to the BACT.
