Scientists and public figures, including Professor Brian Cox, have signed an open letter urging the Chancellor, John Healey, to find money in Wednesday's Budget to save Jodrell Bank and other science centres facing funding cuts, the i Paper reports.
The letter was co-ordinated by Prospect, the union that represents scientists and Science and Technology Facilities Council staff. Other signatories include Rotheram, named as the Liverpool mayor, Professor Liz Bentley of the Royal Meteorological Society, Lord Krebs and Sue Ferns of Prospect.
The letter says the cuts were announced under the previous prime minister with no economic impact assessment and will cause "lasting and possibly irreparable damage" to the UK's scientific capabilities. It describes the threat to the UK's largest telescope as "just the tip of the iceberg".
The signatories also ask for a proper economic assessment of funding science infrastructure in next year's spending review. The i Paper says an earlier vow by Burnham to save the site is at risk.
The claim about the missing impact assessment has not been independently checked. No Treasury response has been reported.