£10M for Environmental Science and Technology

03/02/2001 15:47:34

Lancaster University is on track to receive £10M to lead a consortium of four North West Universities in Environmental Science and technology which will look into areas such as reclaiming land and combating pollution.

Stephen Byers, the Trade Secretary and Cabinet Minister for Science announced today the results of a special committee set up to look into compensating the North West after research work from the Daresbury science park in Chesire was relocated to Oxford, taking with it millions of pounds of funding from the north west. He has identified the environmental project as a priority for the region.

This is a boost to the Lancaster Environment Centre due to be built in the Summer.

Lancaster will take the lead in establishing a centre of excellence with a cluster of scientists of international standing, that will be the world leader in environmental science and technology. Safe disposal of waste, pollution reduction, remediation of contaminated land, effects on biodiversity and the impact of those on society. The other universities involved are Liverpool, UMIST and Manchester.

The benefits to the North West :

- To become the UK an European centre for environmental technologies

- To restore contaminated land and water supplies to allow new developments in industry and agriculture, providing, recycled brownfield sites for these and housing.

- Creating new jobs and wealth in the environmental technology and consultancy sectors and new jobs in research and support staff levels.

Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Richard Davies from Lancaster University said that the potential funding would be as much for North Lancashire and Cumbria as for the University: 'This would be a big boost to environmental science in the North West and Lancaster University is already playing a leading role in developing a centre of excellence and we hope that this latest funding will help to create new jobs and wealth in the environmental technology and consultancy sectors and new jobs in research and support staff levels'.