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Nuclear 'centre of excellence' to create 1,000 jobs

Duncan Cook
BBC News, Gloucestershire
Chiltern Vital Berkeley A computer generated picture showing a number of buildings next to a river. The buildings have a mixture of green and white roofs with solar panelsChiltern Vital Berkeley
The park would be built next to the former Berkeley power station

Plans to build a Nuclear and Clean Energy Technology Park in Gloucestershire have been revealed.

If approved, the park would be built next to the former nuclear power station at Berkeley, which was shut down in 1989.

Developers hope the park will attract world leading companies that specialise in nuclear research and development.

Project manager, Gerry Hughes, said over the next 10 years the site would "become a real centre of excellence in the nuclear sector".

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Gerry Hughes said the businesses they are talking to have developed technology that is "genuinely game changing"

Mr Hughes said they wanted to "create jobs that benefit local people".

"We will be delivering approximately 1,000 new jobs on this site," he said.

"Some of the businesses we're talking to have developed technology that is genuinely game changing globally.

"That's the scale and the importance of this site into the future."

He also said many of the existing buildings on the site would be demolished.

"Most of the buildings that exist here were built in the 1950s and 1960s, so are at the end of their life.

"So it's pretty much a complete redevelopment of the site."

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Traffic concerns were raised by Berkeley town councillor Liz Ashton

The promise of new jobs was welcomed by Berkeley town councillor, Liz Ashton.

"It will generate lots of high level tech jobs which is what we need in the area.

"We had so many brilliant jobs when the power station was active. Lots of the those jobs have gone now, but it's going to be a new generation of workers coming in."

But Ms Ashton raised concerns about the impact of the development on transport links.

"It's a big concern, linked with the development (of planned houses) at Sharpness.

"There are lots of problems regarding the motorway junctions. They really need to revive a good public transport system, so people won't be coming in their cars."

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Ian Mean said the development "had huge potential"

Director of the Gloucestershire County Council economic growth board, Ian Mean, said the park could bring a major boost to the region.

"It's got huge potential. These will be very skilled jobs. Nuclear is in the DNA of this area, lots of people worked in nuclear, they still do. I think it's a huge opportunity", he said.

A consultation is running online until 18 July, with an application for outline planning permission expected to be submitted in August.

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