Council wants to buy Vauxhall factory land

A council has begun discussions with the owners of Vauxhall to buy the land used by a van-making factory after it has closed.

Car giant Stellantis told staff the Vauxhall factory in Luton will close in April, as the company planned to move its electric van production to its plant at Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.

Hazel Simmons, the Labour leader of Luton Council, said: "The council is currently in discussions with Stellantis to explore possibilities to buy the site so we can ensure future development will be of economic benefit to the town.

"It's a big part of Luton, it's a massive part of our town, and we want to make sure what goes on that land is of benefit to the people that live here."

Stellantis, which also owns Citroen, Peugeot and Fiat, said rules imposed to speed up the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) in the UK had partly driven its decision to close the plant.

The council leader said regardless of who owns the land in the future, the authority would want the area to continue to be used as industrial land and not housing.

She said: "There's a lot of new technology, maybe there's opportunity for them to come and bring jobs here."

Stellantis has been asked by the BBC if the land is for sale and what plans are for the site.

About 1,100 jobs have been put at risk with the news the van-making plant will close.

Simmons expressed regret a deal could not be secured to continue production in Luton.

She said: "We know the unions and ourselves and MPs worked really hard to put different options to Stellantis to see if we could keep the plant open, they turned them all down unfortunately.

"Jonathan Reynolds [the Secretary of State for Business and Trade] talked to them. Even Keir Starmer talked to them and I believe grants opportunities were put on the table to Stellantis but I think they made their mind up. They were going to close this plant."

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