With the tender closing date for companies to pull together a vital Masterplan for Pioneer Park closing at the end of last week it was good timing for Cumbria to be showcased alongside the other nuclear regions at Nuclear Week in Parliament.
The callout to supply chain to submit proposals for the creation of a Project Management Office (PMO) and development of the site’s master plan is a key step forward for the project and of keen interest to BECBC members with relevant expertise.
It was front and centre of discussions by the Cumbrian contingent throughout the week in London.
BECBC is part of the UK Nuclear Regions Collaboration, which brings together eight clusters and supply chain organisations from areas across the UK that host either nuclear sites or nuclear business hubs.
The aim of the collaboration is to share best practice, opening the door to cross-regional business opportunities.
During last week’s Nuclear Week in Parliament, the UK Nuclear Regions Collaboration ran an event focused on the social and economic impact of national nuclear investment, supported by both the BECBC team and key representatives from Cumbria.
The event used November’s announcement by the Government about nuclear investment at Wylfa as a springboard into the discussion.
The audience heard from Llinos Medi, MP for Anglesey, who spoke passionately about the need for the ‘proximity principle’ when investing in nuclear in any region – a principle that puts businesses and communities first to generate maximum value for local areas.
Llinos Medi was followed by Corinne Matthews, Industrial Sectors Specialist at Somerset Council, who spoke about the lessons learnt from delivering social value at Hinkley Point C.
The event was concluded by Ruth Sellick, Chair of Nuclear Regions Collaboration and deputy chair of BECBC, who introduced a publication developed by the collaboration called This is what nuclear can do for you.
The publication reflected on the topic of social value, commenting on the unique value of the businesses and communities that exist in our nuclear regions, communicating what each region believes is the key to maximising social value, and discussing how investment at Wylfa will benefit other nuclear regions in the UK.
For Cumbria, this event and its parallel publication was an opportunity to showcase the richness of expertise and experience within the Cumbrian supply chain at a national level.
It highlighted the valuable lessons that can be learnt from the delivery of social value in Cumbria as a result of investments in nuclear decommissioning, waste and materials management at Sellafield and the wider NDA estate, while also promoting Cumbria not only as a pioneer in how we manage our nuclear legacy, but also as part of the next generation of nuclear deployment as plans proceed with Pioneer Park.
