HOMEGROWN workers must be given “every opportunity” to reap the benefits of a new £10 billion nuclear power station, developers are being urged.

Lena Hogg – Copeland’s deputy mayor and leader of the Labour group – has spoken out after it was revealed that Morson International, which has a base at Westlakes Science Park, will be the prime supplier of labour to the Moorside plant, planned for land next to Sellafield.

Coun Hogg said she would “urge and expect” Morson – and the developers NuGen – “to ensure that every opportunity is given to those people in Copeland who are looking for work”.

“The development is a great opportunity to close the gap between the haves and have-nots of Copeland and to help build a fairer and more equitable society,” she told The Whitehaven News .

The deputy mayor’s call comes after NuGen suggested that it is working on the proviso of using 2,000 local workers and 4,000 incoming workers for the three-reactor development. It will employ 21,000 people during its 70-year lifetime, including 6,000 during peak construction and 1,000 when operational.

NuGen is looking at building temporary single-person student-style accommodation to house the expected influx of workers, and is considering sites at Mirehouse/Hensingham, Corkickle, Cleator Moor and Egremont.

Coun Hogg added: “There needs to be a positive drive to ensure that Copeland people are trained and enabled to meet the criteria that NuGen requires to build a skilled workforce. I also want to see that NuGen plays its part in securing and building a permanent workforce rather than a transient one. Furthermore, I want to see a lasting legacy of stability and ongoing opportunity as our young people come onto the jobs market.”

On the labour contract award, Morson’s head of client development, David Lynchehaun, said: “The impact and benefit of the Moorside project to the local communities, supply chains and labour market in Cumbria will positively affect the economy, whilst also helping to meet the UK’s considerable energy needs for generations to come.”

Karen Campbell, NuGen’s head of human resources, added: “The vacancies that we will need to fill will be wide and varied, so it is important that the agreement with Morson provides opportunities for Cumbria-based suppliers and specialist recruitment agencies to supply the project.”

Pending a positive funding decision in 2018, NuGen says construction will begin in 2020. The first reactor would go on stream in 2024 and all three, with a combined 3.4GW capacity operational by 2026.