Louise McKinlay welcomes Stansted Airport College expansion as £5m investment she secured moves forward.
Conservative candidate for Mayor of Greater Essex, Louise McKinlay has welcomed the next stage of the Stansted Airport College expansion after securing £5 million of Essex County Council funding for the project while in office.
The £5 million investment in Stansted Airport College Phase 2 was included in Essex County Council’s capital programme while McKinlay was Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member responsible for economic growth.
The new administration has now reaffirmed her commitment to the investment as plans are submitted for a major expansion of the college, increasing its annual student intake from 568 to around 1,350 and creating hundreds more opportunities for young people to train for skilled careers
The expansion will include a new two-storey teaching building with 12 classrooms, a workshop and aircraft hangar, a covered courtyard and an expanded Aerozone education centre.
Louise McKinlay, former Deputy Leader of Essex County Council and Conservative candidate for Mayor of Greater Essex, said:
“It’s good to see this being taken forward for planning, and I’m proud to have made the £5million happen.
“While I was Deputy Leader of Essex County Council, I met with the team at Stansted Airport College to discuss our vision of building on the first phase, their ambitions for the future and the opportunity to expand the offer. I could see the huge potential, not just for the college, but for young people across Essex and following those discussions, I allocated £5 million in the council’s budget to support the expansion.
“Stansted is one of Essex’s great economic assets. We should be backing its growth, developing the skills our businesses need and making sure our young people have the opportunity to train, work and build successful careers here.
“I’m pleased the new administration has reaffirmed the £5 million investment and is now taking those plans forward. This expansion will mean hundreds more young people can access the training and skills that lead to good careers in aviation, engineering and other growing industries.
“This is exactly the approach I would bring as Mayor of Greater Essex: listening to our businesses and communities, backing good ideas with investment and focusing on the things that will create jobs and opportunities for local people.
“I made things happen at Essex County Council, and as Mayor, I’ll go even further.”
Stansted Airport College was established through a partnership between Harlow College and London Stansted Airport aand specialises in training for careers in aviation, engineering and related industries.
The proposed expansion will significantly increase the college’s capacity, with the first phase expected to open in September 2027, subject to planning approval.
The £5 million investment for Stansted Airport College Phase 2 was included in Essex County Council’s 2026/27 capital programme under the Communities, Transformation and Economic Growth portfolio held by Louise McKinlay (page 62).
The new Essex County Council administration included “reaffirming Essex County Council’s £5 million investment in Stansted Airport College” in its 100-day plan.