21st April 2023
Orbex has announced that construction for Sutherland Spaceport is due to start imminently.
Jacobs, the contractor appointed by Orbex to manage construction for the site has appointed Lybster-based John Gunn and Sons Ltd as its local construction partner. The Gunn team will begin their mobilisation next week on Monday 24th and Tuesday, 25th April. Their initial focus will be to improve and extend the entry to the spaceport site.
In advance of the works starting, safety signage and traffic lights will be set up on the A838 (heading both east and west) close to the spaceport entrance. Work will start formally on 26th April and is expected to be completed by middle or end of May.
Future phases of work will include improvements to various passing places, required as part of the planning requirement from the Highland Council. This work will take place after the spaceport entrance work has been concluded in order to minimise disruption to traffic on the road. Further details about this second phase of work will be released in due course.
Orbex is also currently recruiting for an Environmental Clerk of Works position, making this the second job directly associated with the spaceport. The role will monitor the contractor’s compliance with the ecological, ornithological and hydrological commitments provided in the Environmental Impact Study, approved as part of the 2020 planning permission for the site granted by the Highland Council. Details for vacancy are on the Work with us section of the Orbex website.
