Heather Mills has unveiled plans for a 55-acre 'vegan Silicon Valley' in Northumberland, aimed at supporting plant-based businesses and combating climate change. The site, near Newcastle, will offer manufacturing, storage, and business space exclusively to vegan entrepreneurs and plant-based companies.
Dubbed 'Plant-based Valley', the project is intended to become a hub for the growing shift towards plant-based diets, which campaigners say is crucial for addressing the climate emergency. Mills described it as a 'world centre for the creation of planet-rescuing ideas' and a 'northern powerhouse for the brightest vegan minds'.
Mills, who launched the VBites food range in 2009, said the venture goes beyond business: 'This is an enterprise on which the future of the planet is going to depend.' She highlighted the scientific consensus on the harmful climate effects of the 'cattle culture diet'.
Climate activists and the Green Party welcomed the initiative. Alex Lockwood of Animal Rebellion said it would create sustainable jobs and shift workers away from animal agriculture. Clare Oxborrow of Friends of the Earth called it a 'timely development', while Green Party deputy leader Amelia Womack urged support for initiatives reducing carbon footprints.
Mills also urged the government not to abandon HS2, calling it an 'essential artery' for northern businesses and crucial for the region's role in manufacturing innovation.
