Following weeks of controversy and concern, Cornwall Council-owned company Corserv has confirmed that the council’s former Cabinet member for the economy is “no longer employed” as the head of future air and space at Spaceport Cornwall. Questions were asked by politicians of all stripes when it was announced in March that Conservative councillor Louis Gardner had got the £70,000-a-year role.

A spokesperson for the company said: “We can confirm Louis Gardner is no longer employed in the position of head of future air and space.” They went on to clarify that he is no longer employed in any role by Corserv or Cornwall Airport Newquay, which oversees the Spaceport.

BBC Local Democracy Reporting asked Corserv if Mr Gardner resigned or was sacked. The company hasn’t responded to our question.

Mr Gardner oversaw Cornwall’s Shared Prosperity Funding (SPF) – the former Government’s “levelling up” scheme – and was a particular champion of the Spaceport in his economic role. He stepped down from his portfolio position after getting the space job and retired as a councillor at the May 1 election. Some members of Cornwall Council – as well as North Cornwall’s Lib Dem MP Ben Maguire – were concerned about a possible conflict of interest when he got the top job.

Others questioned the former Naval officer and shop owner’s experience in “future air and space” when it was revealed that other, far more qualified, applicants had not even reached the interview stage. Things took an even more controversial turn when it came to light that Mr Gardner sat on Cornwall’s Economic Prosperity Board (EPB) meeting on February 27. At the meeting the committee agreed to give £200,001 of SPF money from the government to the Spaceport – while Mr Gardner was going through the recruitment process.

The then councillor did not declare an interest during the meeting and seconded a motion which approved SPF funding to a range of bodies – though all the financial details have been redacted from the council minutes. Cornwall Council withdrew the £200,001 funding from the Spaceport at the end of April as what some have dubbed a “scandal” became an increasing embarrassment for the unitary authority.

Devon and Cornwall Police said in early April they were investigating following a report of misconduct in public office by an individual in the Newquay area. A spokesperson said today: “Enquiries are ongoing.”

Ben Maguire, the Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall, said last month: “Was this clear conflict of interest declared at the time – and were there really no eyebrows raised when Cllr Gardner, days before securing a £70,000 job at the Spaceport, was a key part of the decision-making process to approve its funding?

“I’ll now be escalating this matter to the Commissioner for Public Appointments and engaging directly with Cornwall Council’s monitoring officer to ensure this potentially serious breach of standards is investigated to the fullest extent.”

The issue dominated April 15’s last full council meeting before the election. Incensed councillors ignored their own monitoring officer’s warning and hammered Cornwall Council’s leadership with a barrage of difficult and awkward questions concerning the growing controversy.

Tory rebels Steve Arthur and John Conway arrived at the meeting wearing NASA spacesuits, much to the amusement of many of their colleagues. The councillors, who resigned from the Conservative group to start an independent non-aligned group, said they had pulled the stunt to highlight concerns within the chamber. Both councillors have since lost their seats.