Government minister visits Whitby's Woodsmith mine to see reindustrialisation in action
The team at Anglo American’s Woodsmith Project near Whitby welcomed Blair McDougall, the Government’s Minister for Reindustrialisation to visit the mine site this week to see first-hand the scale of development and the economic opportunity being created by one of the UK’s most significant infrastructure projects.
MP for Scarborough and Whitby Alison Hume joined the visit, along with CEO of York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority James Farrar.
Linking Tees Valley and North Yorkshire by a record-breaking 37km underground tunnel, the mine has been designed to be sensitive to its environment - setting a new standard for how mines are designed and operated in the 21st century.
Minister for Reindustrialisation Blair McDougall said: “Woodsmith shows what reindustrialisation means in practice: billions of pounds of investment from companies like Anglo American backing the UK, which means good, skilled jobs for local people and new opportunities for North Yorkshire.
“It was fantastic to see the scale of the project first-hand and its potential to make Britain a major global fertiliser producer, while delivering billions for our economy and exports for decades to come.”
Rachel Dolby, SVP Corporate Affairs and Sustainability said: “We were delighted to welcome Minister McDougall to share our vision for the Woodsmith Project which we believe is a perfect example of reindustrialisation in action in a region steeped in industrial heritage.
“We have a workforce of more than 1,000 people, of which 76% are from the local area, creating skilled jobs and opportunities for people across North Yorkshire and Teesside.
“As we continue to meet the conditions to progress development of Woodsmith to access the world’s largest known polyhalite resource, we are helping to position the UK as a global leader in sustainable fertiliser innovation and national food security.”
Ms Hume said: “Each time I visit Woodsmith, I'm blown away by the extraordinary ambition behind this project. Just outside Whitby, we're developing a product which will help farmers around the world grow more food sustainably.
"The ambition for the huge, responsible mining operation at Woodsmith represents what this government’s reindustrialisation agenda stands for - high-quality local jobs for this and future generations and economic growth for the region built on a sustainable product."
The visit comes following the announcement earlier this year that the Woodsmith Project had entered into an investment agreement with Mitsubishi Corporation, highlighting continued confidence in the long-term potential of the project.
Anglo American is also recognised within both the York and North Yorkshire Local Growth Plan and the Tees Valley Growth Plan as a strategically important development.
Through the production of polyhalite, a naturally occurring multi-nutrient fertiliser, the project is expected to support the UK’s ambitions for long term food security while creating high-value jobs, driving economic growth and generating significant export opportunities.