18th May 12 
- MoD depot 'closure brought forward'
Friday 27th January 2012
MPs in ammunition depot talks
THE FUTURE of Longtown’s Ministry of Defence ammunition and explosives depot was the subject of discussion at a Westminster meeting.
Dumfriesshire MP David Mundell, Carlisle MP John Stevenson and Penrith and the Border MP Rory Stewart met with defence officials in the capital on Monday to put forward their case to retain the depot as a storage and processing facility, which would safeguard up to 300 jobs.
They acknowledged that significant investment would be required by the Ministry of Defence for the site to continue operating after 2014, but believe this is far outweighed by the benefits of the skilled local workforce, the cost of cleaning up the site and the impact any closure would have on the local economy.
Mr Mundell said: “Not only does the Longtown site cover the Eastriggs site in my constituency but a large proportion of the workforce are my constituents so the MOD is a significant local employer.
“We have very few skilled job opportunities in the area and we cannot simply stand by and let the site close without a fight.”
He added: “I believe that the case can be made for the investment needed to keep Longtown open and I will be working with my fellow MPs in Cumbria and the trade unions at the site to make sure that the case is made at the highest level.”
The three politicians will now meet with trade union representatives at the border site to discuss the best way to lobby the MOD for investment.
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