CUMBRIA'S lack of a devolved mayor could be the reason why Carlisle missed out on securing a major nuclear reactor factory, a council leader has suggested.

Councillor Mark Fryer (St Johns and Great Clifton, Labour), the leader of Cumberland Council, was speaking after a meeting of the authority's nuclear issues board at the Civic Centre in Carlisle on Friday (September 20).

During the debate about the nuclear issues update report members were told that it had been announced that the US firm Holtec had decided to open the proposed facility in South Yorkshire instead.

According to the report there was a Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Factory Siting Visit at Kingmoor Park on July 29 this year.

Cllr Fryer said: "I am bitterly disappointed because of the amount of work by the partnership to bring Holtec to Carlisle.

"We were united in our approach with Holtec – business leaders, the local authority, and all the other parties that were involved through the Cumbria LEP.

"We haven't got Holtec but that does not stop us from having the resolve to bring others into our area to develop it.

"I wonder, because of the position that we were in around financing and offering incentives, and, when we talked to Government about whether or not we could offer that type of incentive, that it's gone to an area where there is a devolved mayor in place."

Holtec, the world's largest exporter of capital nuclear components, said it planned to build small modular reactors (SMRs) at the factory to serve the UK, European and Middle East markets.

The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority said it would represent a £1.5billion investment in the area, creating around 3,000 engineering jobs over the next two decades.

The preferred site was chosen from a shortlist of 13 potential locations around the UK including Carlisle.

For more than 15 years Holtec Britain, which is a subsidiary of Holtec International, has been working at Sizewell B nuclear power station in Suffolk and has been in the UK for almost 30 years.

According to the firm the firm the South Yorkshire SMR factory would see at least 70 percent of materials, components and work carried out in the UK and £50 million would be invested into UK skills and training through the SMR Learning Academy.

Gareth Thomas, director of Holtec Britain, said he was impressed by the "history and pride" of the people the company met during a recent visit to Yorkshire.

He added: “Holtec has been part of the nuclear ecosystem in this country for many years and is absolutely committed to creating high quality local jobs, supply chain opportunities and partnerships that will help South Yorkshire and the UK grow and prosper.

“Holtec’s SMR-300 is a PWR reactor enabling the factory to also produce large naval reactor components to not only support the country’s energy security, but also its national security."

Holtec currently employs more than 2,000 people globally and provides spent fuel storage and transport for 145 nuclear plants worldwide.