Former Cabinet Secretary appointed Chair of Team Barrow
Dr Simon Case, the former Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service, is confirmed as Chair of the Team Barrow delivery board.
Dr Simon Case
Chair of Team Barrow
3 minute read
During his time in Government, Dr Case helped establish the Team Barrow partnership, which involves Government, Westmorland and Furness Council and BAE Systems and is backed by more than £200 million of investment.
Having chaired the first two meetings of the delivery board on an interim basis, Dr Case’s appointment was confirmed today by Alex Norris, Minister for Local Growth and Building Safety, in a Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament.
Dr Case said: “I’m delighted to be appointed Chair and take on this important role. Barrow is critical to our national security; there’s nowhere else in the country with the unique set of skills and supporting infrastructure required to deliver complex nuclear submarines, so it’s vital we invest now to sustain this capability.
“Barrow is a fantastic town and the Government’s long-term commitment to the UK’s submarine programme means it has an exciting future, but it’s not without its challenges. Our task is to address these, turn ambition into reality and help transform Barrow into a place where people choose to live, work and thrive.”
Minister Norris said: “Barrow lies at the heart of our defence industry, and the nuclear submarines produced there play a crucial role in keeping Britain safe. We are committed to building on Barrow’s incredible strengths and making sure local people benefit from the town’s development.
“Simon Case is ideally placed to chair the Delivery Board and oversee the delivery of £200m of funding to tackle local priorities, taking Barrow towards an exciting future. He will ensure Barrow’s place in our national Plan for Change – because what’s best for Barrow is best for the country.”
BAE Systems, which already employs more than 14,500 people across its Submarines business, needs to grow its workforce to enable delivery of the Astute, Dreadnought and SSN-AUKUS submarine programmes.
Team Barrow will support this, as well as help diversify and strengthen the town’s economy and increase productivity, by delivering improvements to housing and the town centre, businesses and the local economy, education and skills, health and communities, and transport. Its high-level Plan for Barrow describes how it will achieve this.
“Barrow is a fantastic town and the Government’s long-term commitment to the UK’s submarine programme means it has an exciting future, but it’s not without its challenges. Our task is to address these, turn ambition into reality and help transform Barrow into a place where people choose to live, work and thrive.”
