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Somerset looks at nuclear-themed LEP with Cumbria
Somerset council has talked to local authorities in Cumbria and Suffolk about the possibility of creating a "thematic" Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) focused on the regions’ shared reliance on the nuclear industry.
Some senior Somerset council members and business representative organisations in the region have expressed concern that there are no obvious local partnerships and that a "thematic" LEP might be the best way forward.
David Hall, cabinet for economic development at Somerset County Council, said local authorities and businesses had been encouraged to think beyond traditional county boundaries by central government
“There are no barriers to the idea of ‘thematic’ LEPs that may focus on strategic issues,” he said. “The thematic LEP which we’re taking the lead with is the nuclear authorities’ delivery partnership which would include Cumbria as well as other local authorities.”
Plans are in the pipeline to build a second nuclear power station at Hinkley Point on the coast of Somerset. If it goes ahead it will be the first new nuclear power station to be built in the UK for 20 years and will create thousands of jobs in a wide range of sectors.
But Insider understands Cumbria thinks Somerset is too far away to form a LEP with and would not back a grouping mainly based on the nuclear industry.
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