DWYFOR and Meirionnydd’s MP has espoused the benfits of locating a Spaceport in Llanbedr suggesting the scheme has “immense potential”.

Plaid Cymru’s Liz Saville Roberts has used a debate in Parliament on Space Policy to push for establishing the UK’s first Spaceport in Llanbedr along the Cambrian coast.

Three locations are being considered as potential sites for the proposed Spaceport; Prestwick in Scotland, Newquay in Cornwall & Llanbedr Airfield in Mrs Saville Roberts’ constituency.

If the project secures Government funding, it is expected that work on developing the Spaceport will begin as early as 2018.

Mrs Roberts is calling on the UK Government to press ahead and publish the operational criteria for the Spaceport proposal as soon as possible.

She said: “It’s safe to say that the economic potential of locating the spaceport in Gwynedd is immense, both in the immediate locality & further afield.

“There is a sound economic argument for developing a spaceport in Gwynedd.

“Not only is the county heavily dependent on public sector jobs & seasonal employment within the tourism industry, but the constituency suffers from low wages with chronic economic inactivity a pressing issue.

“This is the price we pay for relying on the seasonal tourism industry; a shrinking public sector coupled with scant government investment in well-paid, skilled jobs.”

Mrs Roberts was keen to point out the aeronautical project would be good for the whole region.

“The benefits of such a ground-breaking project would not be confined to Gwynedd. Llanbedr has the potential to benefit the whole of North Wales,” she continued.

“In fact, the government’s much-hyped Northern Powerhouse would have the development within easy reach.

Out of all three locations in the running for the spaceport, Llanbedr is the nearest site to the international travel hubs of Manchester, Liverpool & Birmingham, whilst being the closest to the UK space gateway in Oxford.

“Llanbedr has a long track record of airspace management, with three large runways positioned in such a way that flights pass over sparsely populated areas.

“If we consider the strict safety criteria such a development would need to adhere to, Llanbedr’s relative isolation, coastal location & two thousand square miles of segregated airspace makes it unique amongst all three candidates.

“The spaceport has the potential to make a real and lasting difference to Gwynedd, whilst contributing to the wider economic security of both Wales & the UK.

“The UK government must now provide the operational criteria for the spaceport so that those working hard behind the scenes to secure this investment can commit further resources to strengthen our case in the bidding process.”