Member Article

Jobs saved at MoD Cumbria depot

A Ministry of Defence munitions site at Longtown in Cumbria, which was under threat, has won a reprieve.

Staff have been told that operations will continue at the depot, which had been earmarked for outright closure, with the possible removal of its munitions licence from 2014.

Following an intensive joint lobbying campaign from Cumbria County Council and the trade unions, in conjunction with lobbying from local MPs, the Defence Minister Philip Dunne MP has confirmed that the site, north of Carlisle, will be retained.

Although there will be a reduction in the munitions storage and processing functions, with the number of licensed storehouses reduced from 120 to 35, the MoD confirmed 182 jobs will be retained in logistics and security operations and the site will remain licensed until at least March 2017.

As part of the Longtown announcement the Defence Industry Organisation within the Ministry of Defence will now be looking to see how alternative uses on the site will be able to create new investment opportunities that will deliver more jobs to the site in the medium term.

An area outside of the maintained operational MOD area will be identified and this will include the very important marshalling yard facility linked to the rail network. Public and private sector organisations including the Local Enterprise Partnership and Invest in Cumbria will work together to make this happen with the full involvement of Cumbria County Council and Carlisle City Council the local planning authority.

Cllr Stewart Young, Leader of Cumbria County Council, said: “This has been a hard fought battle, and I am delighted that the MoD has seen sense and acknowledged that Longtown still has a role to play as a strategic munitions facility and the site lives to fight another day.”

“The county council and the unions repeatedly highlighted our compelling case on the grounds of costs, security and the local economic impact of an outright closure. We went down to Westminster and banged on doors; we showed ministers round the site; and we worked with local partners to deliver a really strong case.

“Obviously, the news is tempered with the fact that a significant number of jobs will go – more than 50 jobs disappearing is always hard to bear. But our focus now will be on building the economic viability of the site beyond 2017 and trying to secure its long-term future.”

Luis Eckersley, who works at the site and represents the Prospect union, said: “I am very pleased that the site is to stay open in some shape or form. Considering the original MoD recommendation was for outright closure, today’s news is a positive move. Hopefully the longer term work on exploiting the site’s commercial potential will present future opportunities.

“The support that the unions received from the county council and MPs in getting us to see ministers and make the case has been invaluable. The next step will be to evaluate the impact on our staff and work with them at what is a difficult time for some.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .