Our town is home to £31BN nuclear base with 167ft submarines – we’re helping Britain prep for WAR & we love every second
LOCALS living in a town home to a £31billion nuclear base that’s building a 167-foot submarine have revealed why they love it.
The Cumbria residents were speaking after they watched in awe as part of a massive sub was rolled through their streets.
The plastic-wrapped “mega-unit” of Royal Navy‘s new nuclear submarine towered over their houses as it made its way to its next home.
A 20-metre tall section of HMS Dreadnought was moved through the streets in September, but the Ministry of Defence only let the photos go public on Friday.
The nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines are being constructed by BAE Systems at its Barrow-in-Furness shipyard as part of a £31bn programme.
And it’s that shipyard and the work being done to “protect the nation” that makes locals proud.
One publican in the Crow’s Nest boozer on the corner of Stanley Street and Ferry Road right outside the BAE plant told The Sun: “It was like the 8th wonder of the world when that mega unit moved down Ferry Road towering over the houses.
“Lots of the lads from the plant pop in here for a pint and the town is proud of the work they do.
“These Trident submarines will provide a shield to protect the nation and we all recognise the importance of the work done here.”
Dad-of-two Ryan Warner, 34, helps the unemployed find jobs and echoed other residents.
He said: “Without the shipyard there would be a lot less opportunity.
“We have had a lot of shops close in the town centre, but we are all grateful the shipyard is there. The local economy would be much worse without it.”
Mum-of-seven Emma Hope, 35, said: “It’s a place were lots of our neighbours work. I am originally from Doncaster, but have lived in Barrow 18 years now and it is great that the shipyard is thriving.
“It is very, very good for the town. I only have to walk two minutes from my house and I can see the shipyard and it’s a towering presence in the area.”
Chrissie Whelan, 35, agreed.
The mum-of-one said: “I have lived in Barrow all my life. The majority of my family work there or at the hospital.
“It’s a massive employer and they do a great job for Britain. We have seven members of the family on my mum’s side and my father’s side working there.
“It’s not just this generation though, previous generations of my family have worked in the shipyard.”
Last week BAE Systems said: “The longest ever ‘mega-unit’ so far for Dreadnought Boat 1 has been moved down the road into BAE Systems Submarines’ Devonshire Dock Hall (DDH) in Barrow-in-Furness.
“At more than 20m, it was the longest submarine unit to move by road since the fore-end mega-unit moved to the DDH for the final Vanguard boat in the mid-1990s.
“This mega-unit will now take its place on the Dreadnought build line as we continue construction of the next generation of deterrent submarine.
“Three of the four Dreadnought submarines are currently under construction in Barrow and will deploy into the Royal Navy fleet in the early 2030s.
“BAE Systems’ site on the edge of the Lake District is the home of UK submarine building.”
HMS Dreadnought is due to enter service in the early 2030s.