A scheme set to create more than 700 jobs in West Cumbria over the next decade has been officially launched.
The Industrial Solutions Hub at Cleator Moor has received support from Sellafield and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and has been officially launched at Copeland mayor Mike Starkie’s third Open For Business Conference at Whitehaven Golf Club.
A community launch for iSH is also taking place at Cleator Moor Civic Hall on Friday, when the public are invited to attend from 11am to 2pm.
John Maddison, managing director of iSH which will have its base at Leconfield, Cleator Moor, said: “iSH is an initiative of regional, national and international significance.
“iSH is about making ideas work. It’s about creating the environment for jobs, employment, skills and training opportunities. It’s about entrepreneurs, businesses and industry coming together to collaborate and design, develop and manufacture innovative solutions.
“And most of all, through that success and business growth, it’s about making a positive difference to people’s lives and regenerating a community.”
iSH is an initiative led by Copeland Borough Council with the support of stakeholders including the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Sellafield Ltd, Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership and private sector supply chain partners.
Mr Starkie said: “iSH will change the fortunes of those living in Cleator Moor. The concept is innovative, exciting and will lift the aspirations of those living and working in the town. It will also attract world class businesses to the area. Its reach can be global.”
Copeland Borough Council chief executive Pat Graham said: “This is a once in a generation opportunity for the Cleator Moor community. iSH will be at the heart of an initiative which will bring wide-ranging benefits to the whole borough of Copeland.
“For the town, investment will come flooding in and the opportunities created will benefit every generation.”
Jamie Reed, NDA director of socio-economics, said: “Today’s announcement represents years of patient work and collaboration. There is more work to be done, but progress is being made.
“iSH represents the benefit of partnership working and builds upon the other significant investments already made in the area by the NDA and Sellafield Ltd.”
Gary McKeating, head of community and development for Sellafield Ltd said: “We’re delighted to be supporting the iSH project.
“It’s a great example of how we’re moving work off the Sellafield site and into the community to enhance collaboration and contribute to local economic growth.
“iSH will give us space to work with our supply chain partners on innovative solutions to deliver our purpose of creating a clean and safe environment for future generations.”
Part of the initial funding for the iSH project comes through the Cleator Moor Town Deal. The Town Deal Board, working with Copeland Borough Council, secured an offer of
£22.5m from Government in June 2021 to deliver its Town Investment Plan which will help the area and its communities to thrive for years to come.
One of the Investment Plan projects is Enterprising Town, Phase 1 of iSH to develop new facilities at the Leconfield Estate in Cleator Moor in order to harness new employment opportunities for the community and to attract further investment and skills to the area.
Mr Maddison said: “Our economic assessment has estimated that the initial redevelopment, supported through Town Deal, will generate more than 100 new jobs over a period of 18 months, with the overall scheme creating more than 700 new jobs in the next 10 to 15 years.”
The Town Deal project at Leconfield focuses on utilising funding offered by the Government and other sources to create a new, flexible hub and commercial building space as well as improvements and landscaping to the existing site, benefiting both the community and estate tenants through the longer term development of skills and business support.
