MILLOM could capitalise on improved facilities and infrastructure if plans go-ahead for the new nuclear power station at Moorside.

Doug Wilson, mayor of Millom, said the investment following the three-reactor power station, on land near Sellafield, could bring huge benefits to the town.

Project chiefs say the new power station could mean more people moving to the region, setting up home, having families and supporting the local economy.

Mr Wilson said the town is fully supportive of the project: “We see Moorside as necessary to provide the country with electricity, but also that it would offer jobs and business in the shorter term for our local communities.”

Work to build Moorside is planned to start in 2019 and take until 2026.

During this period the area is set to see an influx of thousands of construction workers, which it is hoped will see more investment in local services and infrastructure.

Mr Wilson said Millom has a lot to offer in terms of industrial space and access from the likes of Port Millom.

“In order to benefit fully, we need to see improvements to our infrastructure especially our road and rail links,” he said. “This is something we have advocated for a long time.

“The town also has areas which could be used for housing developments. But all these provisions needs to go hand-in-hand with one another.”

Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership predicted a housing boom for the region following the project, with a population growth of 50,000 in the county over the next 10 years, much of it due to an influx of labour needed for the site.

Despite hopes for the town, Mr Wilson said Millom’s location often sees it as an afterthought to the larger towns.

He added: “We need to shout louder to make sure we benefit from this process as fully as possible.”

NuGen, which heads up the Moorside project, is looking at how the power station can leave a lasting benefit for communities across Cumbria.

A spokesman said: “Through two stages of public consultation - which took place in communities local to the project, including Millom - NuGen has been listening to local people about how this can be achieved.

“Businesses in Millom will have the opportunity to benefit through the development of the Moorside supply chain.

“The local workforce, and particularly young people coming into the workforce, will have opportunity to take up skills and training opportunities, and could gain employment in both the 10-year construction and the power station’s 60-year operation, and then into the 40-year decommissioning period.”

NuGen is currently reviewing the feedback it has received from the community and other stakeholders following a public consultation.