Plans for wind farm cable factory in Cambois set to be approved, creating 170 new jobs

Plans for a new factory at a Northumberland coastal town look set to be given the go-ahead by councillors.
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JDR Cable Systems announced plans to create a new site at Cambois, near Blyth, in September last year.

The factory would be located on land north of Blyth Powerstation Substation in the Sleekburn area.

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The firm, which makes high-voltage cables to connect to offshore wind farms, received government funds and private investment to open the site and protect 270 current jobs at its existing site in Hartlepool.

The site in Cambois earmarked by JDR Cable Systems for their new factory. Picture courtesy of Google Maps.The site in Cambois earmarked by JDR Cable Systems for their new factory. Picture courtesy of Google Maps.
The site in Cambois earmarked by JDR Cable Systems for their new factory. Picture courtesy of Google Maps.

The plans for the factory are set to go before Northumberland County Council’s strategic planning committee on Tuesday, June 7. A report from council planners to be issued to members recommends the plans for approval.

It also notes that the factory will create 170 “highly skilled” jobs for the area. It comes after planning permission was granted for the BritishVolt gigafactory to produce batteries for electric cars just to the north of the site, which is expected to create 3,000 direct jobs and another 5,000 in the supply chain.

Deputy leader of the council Richard Wearmouth welcomed the news. He said: “There has been a huge amount of work over the last few years by the council and in particular by Advance Northumberland to get JDR Cables to locate at Cambois.

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“This project represents a multi-million pound investment that will create hundreds of new jobs once fully operational.”

The current brownfield site covers an area of 15.76 hectares, and received no objections from local residents. As part of a section 106 agreement with the applicant, the company will provide apprenticeships and ensure employment and training opportunities are provided to local residents.

Coun Wojciech Polszaj, cabinet member for regeneration at the county council, added: “JDR’s investment helps put the Blyth Estuary right at the heart of the green industrial revolution in the UK.

“I’m very pleased to see that the company have agreed to a planning agreement that secures an employment plan and a training skills plan that will help make sure that local residents will benefit from the jobs that the project will create.”