In 2022, the luxury brand shortlisted a site at Scotch Corner, next to the A1(M), to bring a new manufacturing site for its Small Modular Reactor (SMR) programme. However, doubts about whether this will happen in the future have now been expressed after the company said they are 'exploring other channels' for factories and manufacturing options. An overview of the Scotch Corner Development site (Image: PLANNING) It was expected that the factory would have invested £200m into the region and brought about 300 jobs to the area , but fresh doubts about whether this factory will ever be built have been raised.
A spokesperson for Rolls Royce highlighted that the "criteria had changed" and that building a factory at Scotch Corner right now wouldn't be in its interest. Speaking to The Northern Echo, a Rolls Royce SMR spokesperson said: "We've had a couple of governments since the initial announcement about Scotch Corner, and the pace needed to progress has been curtailed somewhat. Here is what was initial planned for the Scotch Corner Development site (Image: PLANNING) "We've gone in a different direction, and while we're still building UK factories, we've identified other sites.
" Despite the comments from Rolls Royce, the company has shone a slight hope on a factory in the future, noting that it might "return to the plans in the future" - but said that it would be "unfair" to still include Scotch Corner on its shortlisted site plans. A Rolls Royce Factory in the UK (Image: PA MEDIA.
