I was not in Westminster this week as had to attend a family funeral so was able to spend more time in the constituency.
It was still a busy week and mainly dominated by the news that British Volt has entered administration. I have worked closely with British Volt since 2020 and was obviously disappointed to hear this news. Throughout the week I had many conversations with the Government and with Northumberland County Council to offer my support. As I have always maintained that this is the best site in the country for a gigafactory with it’s easy access to road, rail and the Port of Blyth which enables easy transportation access alongside good power connections and workforce availability in the area. I am hopeful that potential buyers will come forward and will happily work with any potential bidders to make sure that this project comes to fruition.
I had the opportunity later in the week to welcome representatives of BP who were keen to explore supply chain opportunities for offshore wind farms. We began with a visit to JDR Cables who gave a presentation on their products. We then discussed manufacturing processes and when the factory will be ready to produce cables. I then took them to the Port of Blyth to hear about the ‘one stop’ services offered by them and how their interaction with existing tenants at the Port enables them to deliver such a smooth service. BP are already working with many of the businesses housed at Port of Blyth and have good working relationships with them. We followed this with a trip along the river and were joined again by JDR Cables. It was amazing to see their site developing and to see all the thriving businesses on the river Blyth. Our final stop was at Catapult where we looked at the blade and turbine testing facilities. I am always amazed at the scale of blades and turbines and never tire of visiting this site. BP were able to offer a letter of support to Catapult who are looking to build a larger facility to test the even longer blades of the future. Obviously, I am doing all I can to ensure that Catapult are able to secure funding that will enable them to continue to test the largest blades in the world.
I ended the week with a delicious Sunday lunch at the Olive Tree followed by a visit to the Top House pub to see one of my favourite local bands. The music as always with this band was fantastic and it was good to get a warm reception from staff and regulars in the pub. Thank you to those who took the time to chat with me.
