Article
Council Leader’s statement on shutdown of heavy end at Port Talbot Steelworks
30 September 2024
“The shutdown of the final blast furnace at Port Talbot is a very poignant day for this area and this will be felt particularly strongly across the town itself. For over a century the steelworks has provided, either directly or indirectly, employment for thousands - myself included."
“The most recent of these years have been marked by uncertainty, so it is essential that we as a Transition Board set out and deliver a clear vision for what comes next and how we will get there.
“Tata has committed to developing an Electric Arc Furnace, to ensure that steelmaking does have a future in Port Talbot. Projects such as the Celtic Freeport offer a massive opportunity for our community to play a leading role as new industries, such as Floating Offshore Wind (FLOW), take shape.
“But neither of these developments will come about overnight and so it is vital to support our local people and businesses who have come to depend upon the steelworks for their livelihoods.
“Today sees the Transition Board open a £13.4m fund for those businesses within the supply chain that rely most on Tata Steel. Further funding streams will support individuals wishing to reskill and also infrastructure projects to help the local area to meet the future needs of industry and economy.
“It is essential that we deliver a just transition to net zero, one that seizes on lucrative opportunities such as FLOW and champions the expertise which has been built up through generations of steelmaking. We must believe, even on a sad day such as today, that there is a future to be positive and hopeful about. This can not be, as we saw with the coalfields, simply a process of managed decline.
“As a council we face our own financial challenges but are still working hard to support and represent our communities throughout this very difficult period.
“On behalf of the Transition Board the council has developed a website to bring together information for people and businesses affected. The Tata Transition Information Hub is being continually updated and signposts to practical support for all those affected, not just those living within Neath Port Talbot. Visit www.npt.gov.uk/TataTransition to find out more.
“In addition, our NPT Employability service, through its two drop-in centres in Port Talbot and its ongoing outreach work is also providing support to people directly and indirectly affected. You can find details of the service through the online Information Hub.”