A coalition of more than 100 cultural and scientific figures has appealed to UK government leadership to preserve Jodrell Bank Observatory, following an announcement by UK Research and Innovation that it would end funding for the e-Merlin radio telescope network when current agreements expire in March 2028. The effort to save the facility includes prominent signatories such as the band New Order, astronaut Chris Hadfield and poet laureate Simon Armitage. They are calling on Prime Minister Andy Burnham and other senior officials to intervene.
The withdrawal of support would represent an annual saving of approximately £2.8 million for UKRI, which operates with a budget of nearly £10 billion. According to the signatories, terminating operations at the Cheshire-based facility would be a mistake given its scientific value and heritage status. The observatory houses the Lovell telescope, a Grade I-listed structure that has tracked major astronomical events since the Sputnik launch in 1957 and continues to support research into galaxies, star formation and exoplanets. It also serves as headquarters for the Square Kilometre Array Observatory, an international initiative to map the universe’s first billion years using facilities in the UK, South Africa and Western Australia.
The funding cuts at Jodrell Bank are part of a broader reduction across UK research facilities. The decision threatens 28 positions at the observatory while potentially affecting nearly 3,000 researchers who utilize its capabilities. Additional cuts announced for other facilities and projects are projected to eliminate approximately 800 jobs across the broader scientific sector. The Science and Technology Facilities Council, which oversees these reductions, cited cost pressures including electricity expenses, staff compensation and currency fluctuations affecting international partnerships.
Proponents of continued funding emphasize the facility’s unique contributions to global scientific safety, including monitoring space debris, solar activity and asteroid tracking. They argue that allowing the world’s largest operational radio telescope to become dormant while simultaneously hosting the international headquarters of a major research initiative would damage the UK’s scientific standing. The observatory also holds designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, adding to arguments for its preservation as a national asset.
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