Britain's Energy Coast Chairman Wilson steps down after five year term
The Chairman of Britain’s Energy Coast, Rt Hon Brian Wilson, has stepped down after five years at the head of West Cumbria’s economic development organisation. The former UK Energy Minister who took the role in April 2009 when BEC was formed, has handed the reins at the end of his term to Interim Chair and independent Board Member Nigel Catterson.
Mr Wilson said: “It has been a privilege to be involved in West Cumbria over the past five years. We can all be proud of what has been achieved by Britain’s Energy Coast through investment in the local economy and promotion of the area’s status as a national centre of excellence. Five years in a position like this is long enough for anyone. However, I hope to maintain my connections with the area and to promote its interests whenever possible, particularly in my role as a UK Business Ambassador. BEC is in good hands and I wish Nigel well.”
He said that since 2009 BEC has invested almost £40m of funding from the Nuclear Partners – which consist of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Sellafield Ltd and Nuclear Management Partners – as well as money from the Government’s Regional Growth Fund. “Early in BEC’s history, the Northwest Regional Development Agency disappeared making this funding all the more crucial to the local economy but also, inevitably, increasing the demands and expectations placed upon it. In response, BEC has developed a strategy to focus on transformational projects which will create maximum benefit for West Cumbria’s future ability to attract investment. BEC has also become very effective at using its money to leverage additional funding from other sources.”
During Brian’s tenure BEC launched the West Cumbria Economic Blueprint and funded a series of major economic development projects including the £7m BEC Construction Skills Centre, a £5.7m investment in the Port of Workington, land assembly and remediation to prepare the way for the £18m Albion Square office development in Whitehaven, and levered in money from the Government’s Regional Growth Fund to support the ‘Investing in Business’ grant scheme. Its business support services have helped start-up 300 businesses and helped to create in the region of 700 jobs. Brian also led a trade mission to the Far East which for the first time helped West Cumbrian companies showcase their products and services overseas under the BEC banner.
At a meeting in February the BEC Board discussed its future priorities and agreed that, from now on, it will be directly supporting fewer, bigger programmes that are more geared towards establishing and promoting West Cumbria as a centre of nuclear excellence. It also agreed that projects will be commissioned and these are currently being developed but will cover themes such as support for the region’s nuclear and wider energy supply chain. This will see a refocusing of BEC’s operations.
Nigel Catterson is an entrepreneur leading the Solway Energy Gateway and Derwent Forest developments and co-founder of nb21c, an organisation committed to developing a social vision, he has wide-ranging experience within the private, public and third sectors.
He said: “I’m of course honoured to be charged with this interim assignment and look forward to working with the Board, partners and executive. There is much to be done in terms of shaping BEC and what it delivers to support the shared aspiration of establishing a robust and diverse economy in West Cumbria which enhances our strengths in nuclear and embraces low carbon and renewable energy. We have a very firm foundation on which to build and a great deal of momentum behind our work.”
The change in Chairmanship comes at a time when two new independent Board members have been appointed and another has stepped down. Brian Watson, who has also served for around five years, has stepped down while Joy Noctor, a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Health and Science at the University of Cumbria and Kerry Maxwell OBE, Co-founder and Chief Executive of the Whitehaven Community Trust have both been appointed. Rory O’Neill, Stakeholder Relations Director at Sellafield, has replaced former Sellafield Managing Director Dr Todd Wright.
Britain’s Energy Coast Board members are drawn from the public and private sector. They include representatives from BEC’s owners the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (50 per cent) and Allerdale Borough Council, Copeland Borough Council and Cumbria County Council (the remaining 50 per cent split equally), funders, which includes the NDA, Sellafield and Nuclear Management Partners, and independent members with experience in sectors of importance to the development of West Cumbria. Membership of the Board currently stands at;
Nigel Catterson, Independent Member (Interim Chair)
Gerry McGill, Chairman Nuclear Management Partners (Vice Chairman)
John Clarke, CEO, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
Rory O'Neill, Stakeholder Relations Director, Sellafield Limited
Mark Fryer, Executive Member, Economic Development, Allerdale Borough Council
Elaine Woodburn, Leader, Copeland Borough Council
David Southward, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Property, Cumbria County Council
Kerry Maxwell, Independent Member
Joy Noctor, Independent Member
Rae Tomlinson, Independent Member
For full profiles of BEC Board members visit http://www.britainsenergycoast.co.uk/board-members.html.
