Henry Boot’s HBD Secures £162m Aviation Innovation Project at IWM Duxford

Henry Boot's (LON:BOOT) property investment and development arm, HBD, has been selected by Imperial War Museums (IWM) and Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge, to develop the Duxford AvTech aviation innovation campus.

The 25-acre site, strategically located within the Oxford-Cambridge Arc, is poised to become a hub for low and zero-carbon aircraft technology.

The project is said to boast a gross development value of £162 million and encompasses 435,000 sq ft of space. The company said the development aims to foster collaboration between academia, industry, and government, driving advancements in sustainable aviation.

HBD is targeting high sustainability credentials, including BREEAM Excellent and an EPC A+ Rating, for the new campus.

Duxford AvTech is projected to generate significant economic benefits for the Cambridgeshire region. Estimates suggest the creation of 1,200 new jobs and an additional £64 million in gross value added to the local economy. The next steps involve finalizing detailed development plans and engaging with partners before submitting a planning application by year-end.

This venture further expands HBD's innovation portfolio, building on the recent approval of the £1 billion Golden Valley scheme in Cheltenham. The Golden Valley project includes the 160,000 sq ft National Cyber Innovation Centre (IDEA) and 576 residential units, demonstrating HBD's commitment to large-scale, mixed-use developments.

Tim Roberts, CEO at Henry Boot, emphasized the significance of the project, stating, “HBD's appointment at Duxford AvTech represents another important milestone for our property investment and development business. This is a transformative scheme that will unlock meaningful opportunities for the local economy and further strengthen Cambridge's position as a global hub for research and innovation.”

Henry Boot, a UK-based land, property development, home building, and construction business, operates across the UK with over 500 employees, focusing on urban development, industrial and logistics, and residential markets.

HBD manages a development pipeline of £1.2 billion, equivalent to 6 million sq ft of developments, and maintains a £107 million investment portfolio.