Permanent housing rather than temporary camps could be on the cards for thousands of workers set to build the Moorside nuclear power station.

Copeland mayor Mike Starkie says “positive discussions” have taken place with developers NuGen towards permanent accommodation being created for the 4,000 workers expected to move into the area during Moorside’s construction phase.

Mr Starkie has been critical of NuGen’s previously- revealed plans for temporary student-style worker villages, earmarked for Mirehouse, Corkickle and Egremont, and has welcomed the firm’s new commitment to consider permanent housing.

The mayor said: “I am very encouraged that NuGen are looking to create a legacy proposition and are prepared to work closely with us on plans to ensure we have a sustainable economic and social legacy.

“This is a clear commitment to address concerns of a boom-and-bust scenario that has been experienced in the past.

“Creative and innovative ideas are beginning to emerge as to how a legacy will take shape. The possibilities in partnership with schools and the universities already in Copeland around science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects, which NuGen are keen to support, could be of real added value to this community.

“The fact that NuGen are willing to think differently and favourably to consider solutions that are not, and have not been, seen anywhere else is a positive step in the right direction.

“I really welcome that they have acknowledged permanent solutions rather than temporary worker camps as the best way forward to help Copeland build a sustainable social and economic legacy.”

NuGen hopes construction will begin in 2020, pending a positive funding decision in 2018. The first reactor would go on stream in 2025 and all three, with a combined 3.4GW capacity, operational by 2026.