Reaction/Cumbria: The eventual closure of the Thorp nuclear reprocessing plant will have little effect on the economy in the Cumbria region, according to BNFL.
Sellafield's contribution to the local economy has long been the argument used by the British government to keep the facility open. However, Thorp employs around 1,000 local people out of a total of 10,000 at the nuclear site.
Whatever about the future of Thorp, it is likely Sellafield will continue to be a major employer as BNFL switches its focus from production into a nuclear waste disposal company.
"We hope to move to the nuclear clean-up business . . . we hope people can be redeployed to this clean-up area," a BNFL spokeswoman said yesterday.
The Northwest Development Agency also sees the potential in waste management and decommissioning and believes any lost jobs can be absorbed into this new growth area.
Surprisingly, the Sellafield site is the biggest tourist attraction in the region, Some 45,000 people,including school tours and Lake District tourists have visited the centre so far this year.
