The Conservative administration at Shire Hall is an “omnishambles” according to the opposition after Gloucestershire missed out on developing a prototype nuclear fusion plant.

The Western Gateway Partnership’s bid to bring the UK’s Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production programme to Severn Edge was unsuccessful and the government announced it will instead be built in Nottinghamshire.

The Severn Edge bid received support from the wide South West region, industry, four of the most research intensive universities in the UK, businesses, political leaders and the local community. 

During the process the profile of both Oldbury and Berkeley sites have boosted into the spotlight, gaining a wide range of interest within Westminster, across the Western Gateway, and the wider UK.

The UK Atomic Energy Authority, who are responsible for delivering the programme, stated that “the site has many attractive features and would likely be an outstanding candidate for a wide range of developments” and the decision was “testimony to the highly competitive nature of the process”.  

But ultimately the Western Gateway Partnership’s bid lost out and Liberal Democrat group leader at Gloucestershire County Council Ben Evan (LD, Churchdown) said it was what everyone expected.

“This Conservative administration really is turning into an omnishambles. This failure is bad news for Gloucestershire but we all expected it," he said.

“There is absolutely no surprise this was unsuccessful. Our local buses are grinding to a standstill on the back of unsuccessful Tory bids to improve the network.  

“And just last week they said they would bid for an “Enterprise Zone” in the County: we can all guess the outcome of that!

“The Conservatives running Shire Hall are mirroring their National counterparts – they are not fit to govern anymore. 

The Officers working for this County are the best around but are badly let down by a lack of vision and ambition of the ruling party.  

“I look forward to the Lib Dems taking over and making positive changes for Gloucestershire in 2025, but am frustrated we have to wait so long whilst the Tories limp from failure to failure”

Council leader Mark Hawthorne (C, Quedgeley) said the Liberal Democrat accusation that the Conservative administration lacked ambition was outrageous and untrue.

He said Conservative action is what Gloucestershire needs, not Lib Dem words

“The fact that we made it to the final five in the STEP fusion bid demonstrates how ambitious we are and how Conservatives nationally and locally are investing in Gloucestershire. 

“Just look at our success in securing the building of the A417 ‘Missing Link’ thanks to persistent team work by our six Conservative MPs and local councillors. 


“Look also at the upgrades to junction 10 and now we’re looking at further investment for junction 9. And don’t forget, last year over £50 million of levelling up money was secured for Gloucestershire. 
“All of this a testament to the ambition and most importantly, the delivery of this conservative administration. Conservative action is what Gloucestershire needs, not Lib Dem words.”