Tim Farron MP visits Sellafield
Westmorland and Lonsdale MP and former Liberal Democrat party leader Tim Farron visited the Sellafield nuclear site in Cumbria recently to learn about the past, present and future significance of the site and witness the complexity and scale of the national clean up mission being undertaken.
In his first visit to Sellafield since becoming a Cumbrian MP in 2005, Tim visited the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant which is due to complete its reprocessing operations in November this year.
He then toured the site viewing the 1,000-plus buildings and facilities that make Sellafield the most complex nuclear site in the world, before vising the National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) to hear about the key role it is playing in the UK and global nuclear industry.
Sellafield is the largest nuclear facility in the UK employing 11,000 people with hundreds of businesses working on the site. The environmental restoration mission will take more than a century to complete with many milestones along the way, meaning changes to the way in which work is prioritised and delivered. As a result, the profile of the Cumbrian economy is also set to change in the coming years with significant opportunities for increasing inward investment and growth.
By transforming the way it operates today, Sellafield Ltd is leveraging its investments, skills and resources to work with the community to help diversify and grow the local economy.
This means developing its supply chain, helping to improve educational outcomes and encouraging pride in the local area. This year, the company became a partner of the Northern Powerhouse initiative which shares the same aims of rebalancing the economy through strategic alliances, new thinking and shared priorities.
The Centre of Nuclear Excellence (CoNE) is another vehicle by which Sellafield Ltd, National Nuclear Laboratory and the wider nuclear industry in Cumbria are encouraging collaboration and partnerships across industry, the supply chain and the community in pursuit of a shared vision for economic growth with nuclear as the catalyst.
CoNE Director, Ken McEwan, said: “CoNE is a partnership of nuclear employers, supply chain and ‘place’ working together to develop and promote the unique concentration of nuclear expertise, facilities and businesses we have in this area.
“If we are to realise the huge potential that exists for Cumbria and the wider UK economy it’s important that we work collectively, speak with one voice and share our vision with as many people as possible. It’s been our pleasure to welcome Tim to come and see part of this fantastic industry for himself.”
Tim Farron said: “I really enjoyed my time visiting Sellafield, including seeing the inspiring National Nuclear Laboratory.
“Their commitment to safe storage of historic waste and their desire to be part of Britain’s energy future was clear to see.
“For Cumbria to thrive as a county, it’s crucial that we speak with one voice and back employers like Sellafield Ltd who are so important to the economy of the local community.”
