Council fights for jobs at Porton Down

8.39.00am GMT Wed 10th Mar 2010

Porton Down is currently the site for Health Protection Agency's "Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response" at which internationally significant research into new diseases is undertaken. The total site covers 27 hectares with employment of 750 scientific, technical and administrative staff. The value to the economy is demonstrated by the fact that the direct impact of the employment of scientific/technical staff is estimated at over £70,000 per head (GWE Business West Ltd.).

Wiltshire Council (WC) has been working with HPA who are putting together an outline business case for developing a new Centre of Excellence for research and bio-medical manufacturing known as the Chrysalis Programme. This is a £300 million project to develop the UK's capacity for high containment laboratories and to replace ageing facilities on the existing site and provide new training facilities.

The first phase of this project (training & skills facility) has a planning application submitted and the project cost of £5m was to be supported by a £1m grant via the South West Regional Development Agency.

The outline business case (OBC) is due to be submitted to the Department of Health. Linked to this project, WC has been working to bring forward a proposal for a new science park which has already gained outline planning consent.

However it has now been revealed that HPA is considering an alternative option for the Centre of Excellence project i.e. Terlings Park in East Hertfordshire near Harlow.

The Terlings Park site is not in HPA's ownership but is currently the site for the National Neuroscience Research Centre operated by Merck Sharp & Dohme, a subsidiary of Merck & Co. Inc., a major pharmaceutical group. It is apparent that HPA is seriously considering adopting Terlings Park as its preferred location for the Centre of Excellence given its proximity to other HPA sites nearby. A formal decision is expected soon.

WC claim that the interest in Terlings Park is not as a consequence of any lack of support from Wiltshire Council and its partners; indeed Michael Harper, Deputy Director at Porton Down indicated today that HPA have been delighted with the support the Council and the SWRDA have shown for investment locally.

A decision to locate the Centre of Excellence in Hertfordshire would have a serious impact on the South Wiltshire economy, in that it would undermine plans for the development of a bio-medical cluster around Porton Down and would result in the relocation of all HPA posts by 2015.

The following action has already been taken:

• Robert Key MP has been briefed and is seeking answers from the responsible Minister.

• Jim Knight MP, Regional Minister has been contacted and briefed on the issue - his support is being sought.

• The Office of Government Commerce that has responsibility for overseeing public sector relocations has been contacted - they are looking into the proposal.

• WC has taken advice from an organisation the Council retained in relation to the 'Lyons Review' public sector relocation programme. Their CEO has said he believes a move to Terlings Park would fall foul of the rules surrounding public sector relocations; moves to and within London and the South East have been scrutinised closely by the Treasury in the past because of the costs associated with operating in that region.

• GWE Business West Limited has been employed to update the economic impact analysis.

• WC Cllr Jane Scott has written to the Chief Executive of HPA to seek a meeting to discuss the situation.

• HPA at Porton Down have been asked whether they require any further information to assist them in taking a formal decision - a response is awaited.

• Cllr Scott and John Brady are leading the response by the Council, with support by Peter Wheelhouse, Head of Economic Development and Alistair Cunningham, director of Economy and Enterprise.

Salisbury's Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate, Nick Radford, said losing such an important employer would be "a devastating blow to South Wiltshire's economy" and employees "must be reeling".

He said: "Hundreds of local people rely on the HPA site to earn their living, and I will stand shoulder to shoulder with them as they fight to keep their jobs here in Salisbury.

"The Secretary of State for Health must intervene quickly to stop this relocation."