Plans for a new factory at a Northumberland coastal town look set to be given the go-ahead by councillors next week.
JDR Cable Systems announced plans to create a new site at Cambois, near Blyth, in September last year. The factory would be located on land north of the former Blyth Power station in the Sleekburn area.
The firm, which makes high-voltage cables to connect to offshore wind farms, received Government funds and private investment to open the site. As well as creating new jobs, the project will help protect 270 current jobs at the company's existing site in Hartlepool.
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The plans for the factory are set to go before Northumberland County Council’s strategic planning committee on Tuesday. A report from council planners to be issued to members recommends the plans for approval.
It also notes that the factory will create 170 “highly skilled” jobs for the area. It comes after planning permission was granted for the BritishVolt gigafactory to produce batteries for electric cars just to the north of the site, which is expected to create 3,000 direct jobs and another 5,000 in the supply chain.
Deputy leader of the council Richard Wearmouth welcomed the news. He said: “There has been a huge amount of work over the last few years by the council and in particular by Advance Northumberland to get JDR Cables to locate at Cambois.
“This project represents a multi-million pound investment that will create hundreds of new jobs once fully operational.”
The current brownfield site covers an area of 15.76 hectares, and received no objections from local residents. As part of a section 106 agreement with the applicant, the company will provide apprenticeships and ensure employment and training opportunities are provided to local residents.
Coun Wojciech Polszaj, cabinet member for regeneration at the county council, added: “JDR’s investment helps put the Blyth Estuary right at the heart of the green industrial revolution in the UK. I’m very pleased to see that the company have agreed to a planning agreement that secures an employment plan and a training skills plan that will help make sure that local residents will benefit from the jobs that the project will create.”
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