Councillors call for answers on future of Britishvolt site in Northumberland

There has been little progress on the long-awaited project to build a new gigafactory for the manufacture of electric car batteries at Cambois in recent months.

The development has been dogged by difficulties after start-up Britishvolt, which owned the site, went into administration.

The council has been involved in negotiations with Australian firm Recharge Industries over a potential buy-out – but in August, administrators EY said a final instalment in the £8.6m deal had not been paid.

At the time, Recharge disputed EY’s claim that it had put the company in “default” on the deal and said it was trying to finalise financing for the project by the end of the month.

Now, Coun Alex Wallace – who represents Cambois as part of the Sleekburn ward – has voiced his frustrations at a lack of news.

Speaking at Monday’s meeting of Northumberland County Council’s Corporate Services and Economic Growth scrutiny committee, the Labour councillor said: “What’s happening at Britishvolt? I see low loaders and I see men digging cables, but the only thing I don’t see is my phone ringing to tell me what is going on.”

Independent councillor Malcolm Robinson, who represents the nearby Bedlington West ward, echoed Coun Wallace’s calls. It comes after Coun Robinson called for members to be provided with more information at the last meeting of the committee in July, even suggesting that this could be done behind closed doors.

At the time, it was agreed that a report would be brought to the committee at the following meeting, to be heard in closed session – but no such report was listed on the agenda for Monday’s meeting.

Coun Robinson said: “I’m asking to have that report in front of us, because obviously something is going on. I’m asking for us to scrutinise the largest investment in Northumberland for decades.”

The meeting’s chairman, Conservative councillor David Bawn, said answers would be provided in due course.

He said: “There will be something on the agenda, but it may be one piece of paper saying there’s nothing to say – but we will discuss that. We will be told when they can tell us.”