The open letter was signed by a number of figures who have played concerts or broadcast from the observatory, including guitarist Johnny Marr, electronica pioneer Ralf Hütter of Kraftwerk, the bands New Order, Elbow and Doves, comedian Dara Ó Briain and poet laureate Simon Armitage.
It stated Jodrell Bank was “an icon in UK cultural and scientific history”, which was the “thriving, thumping heart of space observation, research and education in the UK”.
“This beacon of science is more ambitious than ever, with exciting plans already under way that will ensure the UK’s relevance and leadership in the rapidly evolving domain of space exploration and utilisation,” it said.
It said that in being the headquarters for the new Square Kilometre Array Observatory, Jodrell Bank was “at the heart of the biggest astronomical project in the world” and could play an “essential role” in global safety in “tracking space debris, destructive solar flares, satellites and asteroids”.
It said the site was also “the birthplace of future UK science pioneers”, as it welcomed “more than 25,000 schoolchildren every year”.
“This only begins to explain the value of Jodrell Bank,” it added.
“If you were offered the opportunity to realise all of these huge national and global benefits, for an investment of just £2.8m a year, you’d be foolish not to seize it.”
