THE elected mayor of Copeland Mike Starkie has written an open letter to the Government demanding “urgent action” to salvage the £15 billion nuclear new build at Moorside.

He has called on ministers to give an “absolute commitment” to the future of the project, urging them to “do everything that is necessary” to revive the plans.

Hopes for a nuclear power station were left in ruins when Japanese engineering giant Toshiba decided to pull the plug on the economy-boosting project after talks to secure a buyer stalled.

The firm announced earlier this month that it was winding up its NuGen business which was to build three reactors at Moorside to generate seven percent of the UK’s energy needs.

More than 20,000 workers would have been employed to build the £15bn plant, close to the Sellafield complex, and 1,000 people would have been employed once electricity was generated from 2024.

Writing to business secretary Greg Clark, Mr Starkie called on the Government  to step in either by providing “direct investment” or by creating the “right conditions” for another developer to step into the breach.

He said that it was “simply not good enough” to say that the project is commercially led when  no nuclear new build ever went ahead without at least some form of Government intervention.

He added: “The people of West Cumbria would like a categoric assurance that you will not abdicate your responsibility but moreover do everything that is necessary to secure large scale reactors on the Moorside site which will help bring security of energy supply to the UK.

“Such an assurance will also help confirm the Government’s acknowledgement of a West Cumbrian Community that has uniquely supported the Nuclear industry for generations with a committed and skilled workforce that has played its part.”

Pressure is now mounting on the Government to take action, with Copeland MP Trudy Harrison, Carlisle MP John Stevenson and Barrow MP John Woodcock holding discussions last week with Energy Minister Richard Harrington MP and senior officials from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy about the future of the £20 billion nuclear new build.

An Open Letter to Greg Clark, Secretary of State

Dear Secretary of State,

Following the recent decision by Toshiba to wind up Nugen, I am today calling on the Government to take urgent action to facilitate the ongoing development of Nuclear new build in West Cumbria either by direct investment from the government itself or by creating the right conditions for another developer to take on the project of building large reactors on the Moorside site.

It is simply not good enough to say that the project is commercially led when the fact is that no nuclear new build ever goes ahead without some form of Government intervention be it the UK Government or a foreign Government.

West Cumbria had led the way in Nuclear energy not just in the UK but around the world and the industry and most importantly the community has supported successive UK governments with the Nuclear programme and we now demand the government reciprocates that support by doing what is required to ensure Moorside is developed.

UK Government is already actively working with the Japanese Government for a solution in Anglesey, EDF at Hinkley and Sizewell.

It is incumbent on the Government to give an absolute commitment to finding a solution to build large scale reactors at Moorside.

The Prime Minister and yourself as Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have on numerous occasions stated that the government is committed to new Nuclear as part of the UK energy policy.

The people of West Cumbria would like a categoric assurance that you will not abdicate your responsibility but moreover do everything that is necessary to secure large scale reactors on the Moorside site which will help bring security of energy supply to the UK.

Such an assurance will also help confirm the Government’s acknowledgement of a West Cumbrian Community that has uniquely supported the Nuclear industry for generations with a committed and skilled workforce that has played its part.

The time has come for you Secretary of State to do the same.

Yours sincerely,

Mike Starkie

Elected Mayor of Copeland.