HOPES for a Meirionnydd spaceport have been dealt a blow following a recent decision by the UK Space Agency (UKSA) to favour rival Shetland.

An influential report by UKSA identified Shetland as the “ideal location” for satellite launches in Britain, potentially offering a huge injection of investment into the remote island.

Llanbedr Airfield – now known as the Snowdonia Aerospace Centre – is thought to be towards the top of the list of the most desirable locations for a UK Spaceport but the latest report favouring a site in Scotland will not be welcome news.

The introduction of a spaceport would be a huge boon to employment in Meirionnydd, with scores of well-paid, highly-skilled jobs on offer and millions of pounds of investment.

However, the report states that the geography surrounding the Shetland site is better suited for launches, where staellites and rockets would not have to fly over populated areas or make ‘dog-leg’ turns.

However Aerospace Wales, which produced a joint Space Strategy with the Welsh Government in 2015, said the report was not make or break and that the Llanbedr entry was still very much alive.

“Whatever the outcome of the UKSA competition, the Llanbedr team are pressing ahead,” said a representative of Aerospace Wales.

“Snowdonia is not just a pleasure park for people from Cheshire. There is a need to provide jobs for local people.”