The headquarters of the world’s largest radio telescope is to be based at Jodrell Bank in Macclesfield.

The site will lead some of the most prestigious space observations in the world as the Square Kilometre Array headquarters.

Known as the SKA, it is a global observatory with antennae located in Australia and South Africa.

It will now make The University of Manchester’s historic centre for radio astronomy part of its worldwide reach as its permanent UK base.

Negotiations are continuing with the government but members of the SKA decided on the famous Cheshire venue after negotiations with both Britain and Italy, it was revealed today.

The huge space project aims to probe the early universe and test Einstein’s theory of gravity.

Jodrell Bank through the years

Chancellor George Osborne, who was at Jodrell Bank today to make the announcement, said: “This is a major boost for UK science and for our vision of a Northern Powerhouse.

"One of the most important scientific projects in the world will run out of Manchester and Cheshire.

“Everyone from the Prime Minister down has fought hard for this day and it means more jobs and scientific excellence for the north of England and the whole of the UK.”

Jodrell Bank is already home to the world-famous Lovell Telescope which helped track the moon landings in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

At a meeting yesterday, the SKA organisation decided that negotiations should start with the UK government to locate the permanent headquarters of the project at the University of Manchester’s Jodrell Bank site.

Prof Philip Diamond, director general of the SKA, said: “I am delighted that a permanent home for the SKA headquarters has been identified.

“Clarity over the location of the headquarters is an important step for SKA, ahead of international negotiations to form an inter-governmental organisation and the beginning of construction in 2018.”

The process for selecting the permanent headquarters began in 2014 when, following an agreed plan, members were invited to submit bids.

Two bids were received, from Italy and the UK and both were judged to be ‘excellent and suitable’, the SKA said.

The plans will see a ‘unique campus for one of the most inspirational science projects of the 21st century’ designed and constructed.