Vauxhall owner could move all production away from its Ellesmere Port factory

The boss of the French carmaker that owns Vauxhall says the firm could end production at its Ellesmere Port site and switch it to mainland Europe if Brexit renders the Cheshire factory unprofitable. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

PSA chief executive, Carlos Tavares, told the Financial Times the business had earmarked a site in southern Europe to build future Vauxhall Astra and Opel Astra cars if the UK was not able to achieve a satisfactory outcome when leaving the EU. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

The PSA Group said in June that it planned to build the new Vauxhall Astra in Rüsselsheim in Germany with Ellesmere Port as a second plant but only if a no deal Brexit is avoided.  ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Unite union warned that failure to take a no-deal Brexit off the table will “destroy jobs and snuff out the hope of securing the long-term future of Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant.” ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Taveres told the FT: “Frankly I would prefer to put it [the Astra car] in Ellesmere Port but if the conditions are bad and I cannot make it profitable then I have to protect the rest of the company and I will not do it. We have an alternative to Ellesmere Port.” ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Arround 400 Welsh based staff are employed at Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port site many from Flintshire and around a dozen businesses in our area are part of the Vauxhall supply chain. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​