Landmark Shropshire telescope under threat after funding cuts

A landmark Shropshire radio telescope could be at risk of closing after cuts in funding threaten the future of Jodrell Bank.

The giant 25-metre radio telescope at Knockin is under threat after it was revealed that Jodrell Bank Observatory lost its funding and could now close.

The Knockin site, near Oswestry, is part of e-Merlin, an array of seven telescopes sited around the UK that make up the UK’s national radio astronomy facility at Jodrell Bank.

On Monday, the observatory’s funder, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), said it would be withdrawing funding for the e-Merlin network when its current agreement lapses in March 2028.

All scientific observations at Jodrell Bank are expected to then cease unless alternative funding can be found.

Helen Morgan, MP for North Shropshire, had previously written to the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology highlighting the damage cuts could cause to both local expertise and the UK’s global scientific standing.

She said: “Science, innovation and technology are central to our economic growth and our place in the world. The UK has long been a global leader in astrophysics and discovery science, but that status is now under threat.

“I have heard directly from astronomers and from the Shropshire Astronomical Society about the devastating impact these cuts could have.

“Facilities like the telescope at Knockin are part of world‑leading research networks, which once lost, boast a capability that cannot be rebuilt.

“These proposals risk hollowing out the future of British science by driving away the very researchers we should be supporting - particularly early-career scientists.”