Statement from Heart of the South West LEP: Hinkley development

Tim Jones, Chair of the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership said: "We are really pleased that the Energy Secretary has granted consent for the Hinkley development to proceed. As the largest engineering project in Europe, this has the capacity to transform the economy of our area, with a huge variety of supply chain opportunities, boosting skills within our workforce and creating longterm sustainable employment prospects for our communities. 

"It has taken the commitment of many different partners to achieve this agreement, which has been extremely challenging at times, so we are most relieved that the Government has shown its firm backing for the project. We will be working with our own local partners to ensure that our businesses will benefit during the construction period by taking advantage of potential tenders and contracts. 

"And with energy security becoming a major consideration, ensuring we are able to meet the demands of industry, not to mention domestic usage is crucial. By the time this project comes to fruition, the focus on energy will be much more acute, so I am pleased that this will go some way to ensuring we are self sufficient in energy terms as an area. Congratulations to the team at EdF for making this project a reality."

Notes to Editors:

For more information, contact Emma Parker or Liz Waugh at Coast Communications on 07944 360631 / 07966 388921 / main office 01752 847135.

Heart of the South West

The Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has been formed under the leadership of the private sector supported by the local authorities from Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay and the area’s District Councils.  It is one of 39 partnerships created since the Government’s Local Growth White Paper published in October 2010.  More information about the work of the LEP is available from the website www.heartofswlep.co.uk.