Jobs can't come soon enough - MP Ian Lavery and leader of county council welcomes news of Britishvolt sale

Britishvolt, which collapsed into administration in January, was behind plans to build a gigafatory near Cambois to produce batteries for electric vehicles.

The plans had been on hold, leaving stakeholders with a nervous wait until the takeover by Recharge Industries was confirmed on Monday morning.

The Australian firm has promised “thousands of green jobs” in Northumberland and is poised to take over the project to build the battery plant. The firm had been identified earlier this month as the preferred bidder to take over the majority of the business, and the deal has now been completed.

Wansbeck’s Labour MP Ian Lavery, who represents Cambois, was keen to see the project restart once again after the recent setbacks.

Mr Lavery said: “I am thrilled to hear that the takeover of Britishvolt by Recharge Industries has been completed. We need this project to get up and running again as soon as possible and hopefully this confirmation means that the ball can start rolling again and these thousands of much needed jobs are created for our long held back region.

“I have met with David Collard, the Chief Executive of Recharge Industries parent company Scale Facilitation, along with other senior members of the team at Recharge Industries a number of times already and have been impressed by both their professionalism and long term vision for the site in Cambois.”

Mr Lavery also criticised the government for failing to provide financial support to Britishvolt.

He added: “While there is much to be pleased about this morning it is important that we do not get carried away. This region cannot have another false dawn like with the original Britishvolt story and to make sure of that things must be done differently this time.

“This includes the government throwing their full support behind the new owners in order to get this project over the line. The government were happy to pose for photos with Britishvolt in the past when everything was going to plan but dropped them quickly once the going got tough.

“This simply cannot happen again and I will be seeking assurances from the government that this will not be the case. I look forward to working with Recharge Industries going forward to get this gigafactory built as soon as possible and will do whatever I can in my position to make that happen.”

The Government had previously said it was “determined to ensure the UK remains one of the best locations in the world for automotive manufacturing” during the switch to electric vehicles, but that it had to ensure ” taxpayer money is used responsibly and provides best-value”.

The leader of Northumberland County Council, Coun Glen Sanderson, welcomed the news but said negotiations were not yet complete.

He said: “Although we understand the negotiations are not yet complete the Council has been working closely with potential investors for almost two months to do all we can to secure new jobs and investment for this site.

“We really hope that this deal will go ahead and we will continue to do all we can to help.”

The news has also been welcomed by business leaders. The chief executive of the northern Powerhouse Partnership, Henri Murison, felt Recharge was the “right business” to take the project forward.

He said: “The site and circumstances at Blyth make it the ideal place to build a gigafactory. It is why I have remained optimistic that the business would be acquired, and the ambition of the project would be fulfilled.”

“This will put the North East right at the epicentre of the UK’s electric vehicle supply chain and Recharge Industries are the right business to make it happen. International investors are lining up to invest in the North’s growing strengths in cutting edge, green industries such as this, with foreign direct investment up 72% in the last five years – despite dropping across the rest of the UK.”

John McCabe, chief executive at the North East Chamber of Commerce, also pointed to the site’s excellent suitability for a gigafactory, thanks to rail links at nearby Blyth as well as the town’s port.

He said: “We warmly welcome the news Recharge Industries has completed the acquisition of Britishvolt and can hopefully now accelerate plans to develop a battery factory with a thriving regional supply chain.

“This transformative project has the potential to place the North East, and the UK, at the front of battery manufacturing. With its excellent port, road and rail links, and the availability of renewable energy sources, there is no better site on which to build such a huge facility.

“The North East has an incredibly-skilled workforce and local partners, including the Chamber, will be eager to provide support for the project. These are exciting times for our region and we look forward to Recharge Industries playing its part in our economic renewal.”