Britishvolt battery plant: Northumberland councillors confident over project

The Britishvolt factory would create 3,000 jobs, according to the firm

Councillors say they remain confident an electric car battery plant in Northumberland will be completed despite reports the project is on "life support" to try to cut costs.

The Guardian last week suggested work on the Britishvolt factory would be "severely limited" until February.

Northumberland County Council leader Glen Sanderson said the authority was working closely with the firm.

Britishvolt said it was continuing to deliver key materials to the site.

The £3.8bn plant, which is being built in Cambois on the site of the former Blyth Power Station, is set to create 3,000 jobs.

Mr Sanderson has moved to reassure people the council would be doing everything it could to make sure work continued, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

'Don't worry'

"We continue to work closely with Britishvolt and are assisting them in unlocking opportunities for further funding," he said.

"We are confident they are doing all they can to counteract any impact they may face due to the current economic situation and they have already put in place measures.

"Their funding strategy is clear and follows already tried and tested routes on major projects like this.

"This project is extremely important to the council and we will do all we can to support it going forward."

The area's ward councillor, Alex Wallace, said he was "absolutely still confident" in the project.

"People want to see the piling and steelwork going up, but that's not going to happen until February.

"We've had so many false dawns so you can understand people's misgivings, but you can see the levelling up that's happened there with cables going up there as well.

"My message would be 'don't worry'."

In a statement released last week, Britishvolt said: "Delivery of key materials to site continues along with project preparation activities.

"This will be followed in February with significant works such as piling which will prepare the site for structural steel work."