Former MoD airfield up for sale

Llanbedr airfield was built in 1938 and used in World War II

An airfield in the Snowdonia National Park which was once the centre of the UK's unmanned aircraft industry is up for sale.

Llanbedr airfield, near Harlech, Gwynedd, is being offered on a 125-year lease by the Welsh Assembly Government, which acquired it last year.

Officials said plans were to run it as a commercial aerodrome for the benefit of the region.

Built in 1938 and used during World War II, it was closed in 2004.

The assembly government said it was launching an international marketing campaign to find a suitable leaseholder.

The site covers 563 acres (227.8 hectares) with a main runway that extends to 7,500ft (2,286m) and two additional cross runways of 4,600ft (1,402m) and 4,200ft (1,280m).

Korean War

The Welsh Assembly Government said: "It will be of interest to parties with previous experience of operating similar ventures or consortia that could bring the necessary skills and knowledge to deliver the assembly government's objectives of supporting the local economy."

Llanbedr was built in 1938 and used during the war for operations against enemy raids along the Welsh coast and was linked to a training school.

In 1950, the army used it to train soldiers for the Korean War, but later that decade it became the centre of the UK's unmanned air systems programme.

In 2004 it was closed by the Ministry of Defence and acquired by the assembly government last year.

A centre of excellence for developing unmanned aircraft was opened down the coast in Aberporth, Ceredigion, in 2005.