AN ORGANISATION which provides aircraft, services and training to the RAF at Brize Norton is moving to a bigger purpose-built base.

AirTanker’s new multi-million pound development in Carterton will bring together staff from several locations and include 20,000 square feet of office space and a 22,000 square feet car park.

AirTanker worked with Gloucestershire developer Robert Hitchins to find land and obtain planning permission from West Oxfordshire District Council.

It will lease the new headquarters, expected to be ready next spring, from Robert Hitchins on a 15-year contract.

Phillip Heslop, project manager at AirTanker Services, said: “It is great to be managing this exciting project, helping to integrate the business and bring about a new positive change. “We have worked in partnership with Richard Hitchins over the past year and are dedicated to delivering a landmark building, bespoke to the needs of the business - it will be great to now to see the striking design come to life.”

Michael Plimmer, senior development manager at Robert Hitchins, added: “This is an exciting project for us.

“RHL has a good track record of delivering the complete development solution to occupiers and we are pleased to have been able to work alongside AirTanker from the earliest point when they identified a need for new accommodation, through to unlocking and securing their ideal site, obtaining planning consent and now on to the final construction phase.”

AirTanker is a consortium, made up of private aerospace and defence firms Babcock, Cobham, Airbus Group, Rolls-Royce and Thales which has a long-term contract with the Ministry of Defence.