World-leading Cambridge telescope at risk as Lib Dems demand Government intervention
A world-leading radio telescope in South Cambridgeshire could be lost following plans to withdraw its funding, prompting local Liberal Democrats to demand urgent Government intervention.
The 32-metre radio telescope at the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory, near Cambridge, faces an uncertain future after the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) proposed withdrawing 100% of operational funding from the e-MERLIN telescope network beyond March 2028.
The telescope is part of a network of seven across England which together form one of the world's leading astronomical instruments, with a resolving capability comparable to the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes.
Now, Cllr Bridget Smith, Liberal Democrat Leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council, has written to the Government demanding action to save the facility, warning that the cuts could permanently damage Britain's scientific capabilities.
The e-MERLIN network has contributed to more than 1,000 scientific papers and supports thousands of researchers around the world. Scientists fear that losing its funding could mean the permanent loss of specialist equipment, expertise and internationally important research.
Cllr Bridget Smith (Liberal Democrat, Gamlingay ward), Leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council, said:
"This is a world-leading scientific facility, right here on our doorstep, and we are facing the very real prospect of losing it. Once we lose facilities like this, we can't simply bring them back. Decades of expertise and scientific achievement could be lost for good.
"It's extraordinary that the Government is talking about making Cambridge the engine of Britain's economic growth while allowing the funding to disappear from the very scientific infrastructure that makes this area so special.
"The Government needs to put its money where its mouth is. If Ministers are serious about backing Cambridge and British science, they need to step in and save this telescope."
The proposed cuts come as the Government continues to promote Greater Cambridge and the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor as central to its plans for economic growth.
Local Liberal Democrats warn that losing such an important scientific facility would undermine those ambitions, putting at risk the research infrastructure that helps attract investment, develop highly skilled workers and maintain Cambridge's international reputation.
Pippa Heylings, Liberal Democrat MP for South Cambridgeshire, said:
"Cambridge is known across the world for its groundbreaking science, and this telescope is part of what makes that possible.
"You cannot build a world-leading science economy by dismantling the world-leading science facilities we already have. Yet that is exactly what these cuts risk doing.
"This isn't just about one telescope. It's about the future of British science, the skilled jobs and expertise we depend on, and whether the Government is genuinely committed to the growth it keeps promising. We need a proper long-term funding solution, not a decision that could throw away decades of scientific achievement."
In her letter to the Secretary of State, Cllr Smith has called for the Government to work urgently with UKRI and STFC to secure sustainable funding before existing arrangements expire in March 2028.
She also urges Ministers to pause any final decision until the full scientific and economic consequences have been assessed.
The letter has been copied to local Liberal Democrat MPs Pippa Heylings, Ian Sollom and Charlotte Cane, and the party's Science, Innovation and Technology Spokesperson, Victoria Collins MP.