Jodrell Bank telescope funding to end in 2028, putting 28 jobs at risk
UK Research and Innovation has withdrawn funding for the Jodrell Bank telescope from 2028, leaving a £2.8m shortfall and putting 28 jobs at risk.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Jodrell Bank funding to end in 2028
Funding for the Jodrell Bank telescope in Cheshire will be withdrawn from 2028, putting the future of the UK's largest radio telescope under threat and placing 28 jobs at risk.
Staff received an official letter confirming the decision. One senior figure at the site said the scale of the cuts was shocking and that employees were stunned. They had expected possible cuts of around 10% across projects supported by the Science and Technology Facilities Council, not the complete removal of Jodrell Bank's funding from 2028.
The funding body, UK Research and Innovation, said it needs to focus on projects that deliver the greatest long-term impact. The decision leaves a £2.8 million hole in the site's finances.
Jodrell Bank has been observing deep space for 70 years. Bernard Lovell first arrived in muddy fields in Cheshire in 1945 and decided to build a giant radio telescope. He was told it was impossible. The telescope now stands 76.2 metres wide and is the largest in the UK. During the Cold War it played a crucial role in the space race between the United States and Russia, and it has helped reveal some of the universe's biggest mysteries, including black holes.
The site's closure would also affect the work of nearly 3,000 scientists who use it in their research and could turn a place of scientific discovery into no more than a monument. Professor Brian Cox said on social media that the decision was a bad legacy decision taken hastily and without proper consultation. He added that the government should take time to review it.
If no solution is found, the funding cut could mark a major setback for UK space exploration from April 2028.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| 28 jobs at the site are at risk. | |
| The decision leaves a £2.8 million funding shortfall for the site. | |
| The site's funding will be completely cut from 2028. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
ITV1 led its coverage on the human and scientific impact of the funding cut, treating it as a threat to a 70-year-old national asset rather than just a budget decision. Its package mixed archive-style history with immediate concerns about 28 jobs, a £2.8m shortfall and nearly 3,000 researchers. It also gave prominence to Professor Brian Cox's criticism and to the warning that UK space exploration could suffer by April 2028.
- “The magnitude of these cuts was absolutely shocking. I talked to all our staff this morning. They were stunned, to be honest.”
- “Professor Brian Cox took to social media and described it as a bad legacy decision taken hastily and without proper consultation”
- “if a solution isn't found soon, the sun could set on UK space exploration as soon as April 2028”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.