Gloucestershire could land a significant economic boost in the wake of last week's news of Hitachi's purchase of the former nuclear site at Oldbury.

With plans afoot to develop small modular reactors  (SMRs) at Oldbury and Wylfa, a site in north Wales, Ian Mean, Gloucestershire director of Business West and vice-chair of GFirstLEP has welcomed the implications for Berkeley. 

Mr Mean told Punchline-Gloucester.com: "The impact of the purchase from Hitachi will almost certainly enhance the development at Berkeley Green-the other former nuclear site just over four miles away. The government Budget announcement had not been expected, and I understand that the £160 million deal by Great British Nuclear, was completed in just a few weeks."

He added: "I believe that up to 2,000 people could well be employed at Oldbury and Berkeley in the future."

WIth Berkeley Green in the process of being sold by South Gloucestershire and Stroud College (SGS) to the Chiltern Vital Group(CVG), major blue-chip companies could now be attracted to set up in Berkeley Green, he added.

"Taken together, the Great British Nuclear plan to buy Oldbury from Hitachi and the CVG intention to purchase Berkeley, are I believe, very significant steps towards the Western Gateway's Severn Edge Vision to create a low carbon energy hub for the UK."

Forward planning is said to indicate that Oldbury has the potential to house two SMRs and Business West is hopeful that Rolls-Royce will be selected for the engineering work.

As part of the sale, SGS will retain its learning facility at Berkeley Green where they teach young engineers for the local economy.

"It's a great facility that could now be supercharged to ensure the siting of these new SMRs in Gloucestershire will encourage more young people to go into engineering," he added.

"There are many pieces in this complex nuclear puzzle, but it feels we are making headway on the journey to make it all fit."