AN EMERGENCY motion will be be put to county councillors today following the collapse of the Moorside nuclear deal.

They are expected to call on the Government to enter into urgent discussions to try and rescue the power plant scheme, and safeguard jobs and investment.

The £15bn Moorside project, planned for west Cumbria, was left in tatters after Toshiba announced it was pulling out.

The NuGen scheme would have created thousands of jobs and generated about seven per cent of the UK’s energy needs.

The implications of the collapse will by discussed by members of Cumbria County Council at its meeting in Kendal this morning.

David Southward, cabinet member for economic development, has put forward the emergency motion to the full council.

It calls on the Government to step in to rescue the project.

The motion will state: “The council views with concern the recent statement by Toshiba Corporation that their board has resolved to withdraw from the nuclear power plant construction at Moorside in west Cumbria, and take steps to wind up the development company NuGen.

“Council considers that due to the level of commercial risk involved in projects of this nature, they are highly unlikely to proceed without Government support, whether that be by way of equity acquisition, underwriting potential losses or guaranteeing the strike price.

“Council therefore calls on the Government to enter into urgent discussions with all interested parties and to take any necessary steps to ensure that the nuclear power plant construction project at Moorside goes ahead.”

Mr Southward believes that support could include buying an equity stake in the development company, underwriting the deal or guaranteeing a fixed amount that would be paid for electricity generated at the plant.