When I was elected last year, I made clear that my top priority was to help unlock the Moorside site for new nuclear. For too long, West Cumbria has lived with the disappointment of false starts on new nuclear. The collapse of the NuGen project under the Tories in 2018 left a plan-shaped hole in our economy – one that has never been filled.
But over the past year, through a huge collective effort, we have begun to turn that around. What felt stalled for years is now gathering pace, grounded in hard work, partnership and realism about what it will take to deliver new nuclear and new industry here.
The latest example of that progress came last week, when the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority confirmed £1 million for our local development company – BEC – to prepare a full masterplan for Pioneer Park. This is the most significant step forward on the site in years, and it marks the shift from exploring possibilities to setting out a credible, detailed route to delivery.
Since last September, I’ve chaired the Cumberland Nuclear Futures Board, bringing together the NDA, Cumberland Council, Sellafield Ltd., BEC, ministers and business and union leaders. The Board has helped create the kind of partnership our area has long needed: local and national institutions working side by side, with shared purpose and a shared understanding of the scale of the opportunity.
That opportunity has become clearer through conversations with more than thirty developers, nuclear vendors and technology companies since Pioneer Park was announced earlier this year. Their message back to us has been consistent: Pioneer Park is a serious site with serious potential – if we can get the land arrangements right, move quickly, and provide certainty about power off-take and planning.
Alongside new nuclear, we are seeing equally strong interest in the idea of a nuclear-powered AI Growth Zone. West Cumbria is uniquely placed to lead in the development of high-performance data centres and advanced robotics, drawing on our nuclear skills and our emerging AI and embodied-intelligence capability. This could bring new opportunities for young people, help diversify our economy, and support the long-term mission at Sellafield.
None of this is simple. But the story of the past year is that the blockers which once looked immovable are beginning to shift. Land transfer is now being worked through. The developer selection process is being shaped. Work is underway on early survey options. And now, with this week’s funding announcement, the masterplan that will guide all of this can finally begin.
There is still a long way to go, but the direction of travel is the right one. Step by step, we are clearing the way for new nuclear at Pioneer Park – and building the foundations for a brighter and more prosperous future for West Cumbria.
Josh MacAlister MP 