"We must fight to keep HPA jobs in South Wiltshire" - Radford

7.50.58pm GMT Wed 3rd Feb 2010

EIGHT hundred jobs are under threat at the Health Protection Agency site at Porton Down. The shock reports have been met with anger from staff, local politicians and Unions.

HPA staff were briefed on Tuesday of the plans to move all operations to Terlings Park in Essex within a five year time frame.

The news is a dramatic U-turn, as the HPA were planning a massive redevelopment project which would have rebuilt the Porton Down site and created new jobs onsite. It is reported that £10million has already been spent on the "Chrysalis Project" which was investigating and planning the redevelopment of the existing site.

However, the Board of the HPA is now favouring relocation to Essex over the redevelopment plans. Reports from the staff briefing on Tuesday suggest that there is no difference in cost between redevelopment and relocation, but that the Board favours the latter for logistical reasons. The Terlings Park site would be located closer to the other two HPA sites in the Chilterns and in Colindale, North London.

The news also calls into question the Core Strategy and the 12,400 homes planned for South Wiltshire. There is a strong dependence in the document on new jobs being created at Porton Down - something which is now far from certain.

Ministerial approval is still required for the relocation, so there is still hope that the Board's position can be reversed. Nick Radford, Prospective Lib Dem MP for Salisbury said:

"Losing such an important local employer would be a devastating blow to South Wiltshire's economy and to the employees at the HPA Centre. The staff must reeling from this news and I will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them as they fight to keep their jobs here in South Wiltshire.

"Looking at the available evidence, this seems like a decision based on convenience for the HPA Board, rather than what is best for the employees and for the local community.

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

A Facebook group has been set up as a forum for those protesting against the move - http://bit.ly/c3G8Hp