THE MP for Ulverston has described the impact of today’s announcement from GSK - that it will no longer invest in the future of the town - as “heartbreaking”.
John Woodcock, Labour representative for Barrow and Furness, also spoke of his anger at the “monumental misjudgement” made by the pharmaceutical giant in promising the new facility to the county and the country. Mr Woodcock is arranging a meeting to take place tomorrow morning, to discuss the impact of the U-turn on the town and the huge amount of business, planning and housing development that had been taking place to prepare Ulverston for the expected employment boom.
He said: “It is dreadful and terribly shocking news. It’s heartbreaking for our community, that has spent so many years now preparing for the enormous opportunity that this investment was going to bring - investment which we had worked for for months and years, to win the national competition, to secure first place.
“I am devastated for the GSK workers who were planning for the future in a new, advanced field of pharmaceuticals, but I’m also angry that the company has clearly made such a monumental misjudgement, because this was not a run of the mill investment decision. This came after national competition, it was trumpeted as the first investment that GSK was making in the UK for, I think, 30 years. David Cameron came up to launch this, the day after the announcement.
“This was going to put us at the cutting edge of new advanced manufacturing, so it’s a devastating blow for the whole of the UK, not just for us in Ulverston.”
The lack of investment in the new facility comes as part of a dual blow, as GSK also revealed that it is carrying out a review of its manufacturing which could see the Ulverston site sold to another company. GSK is considering the future of its operations producing cephalosporins antibiotics, currently made in Ulverston as well as at two other sites, with an option to sell the business and its associated manufacturing facilities.
Mr Woodcock said GSK bosses were keen to spread that message that it is “business as usual” for workers in the town in the meantime. He will support the firm as it tries to find a buyer which will continue to run the site into the future.
Mr Woodcock added: “Even though there is nothing at the moment in terms of redundancies, this will cause great uncertainty, and I will do whatever I can to ensure those workers have the strongest future possible.”
A GSK spokesman said the company appreciated that uncertainty, and was aiming to complete the review process as quickly as possible.
Of the firm’s role in cephalosporins production, he added: “It is a non-core business for us. The business and supply chain that is there could be a very attractive proposition for the right buyer in pharmaceuticals.”
Meanwhile, South Lakes MP Tim Farron has hit out at the government, blaming a lack of commitment to Cumbria for today’s announcements.
He said: “This is a massive blow for the South Lakes, and shows just how much the government has taken its eye off the ball over the last two years. Any government worth its salt should have seen this coming and, for the Northern Powerhouse to mean anything, they should be working with companies like GSK to secure investment here in Cumbria.
“I was proud when Vince Cable, then Liberal Democrat business secretary, and the late Brendan Jameson, then Liberal Democrat leader of South Lakeland District Council, worked with GSK to secure the planned expansion in 2012. This government has failed to show anything like the same level of commitment to our area.”
Mr Farron has also contacted GSK to seek clarification on the future of the current site.
He added: “Many residents both directly and indirectly employed by GSK will be nervous about the prospect of the site being sold off. I am seeking clarification on the likely impact of the workforce if the site is sold off, and am keen to work with neighbouring MPs and the local council to secure the future of the site going forwards.”
Ulverston and the £350m biopharm facility: A timeline
December 2009: GSK shortlists four potential sites for the biopharm plant, with Ulverston facing stiff competition from Barnard Castle in the north east and Montrose and Irvine in Scotland.
November 2011: GSK bosses visit Ulverston to tour the existing site.
March 2012: GSK announces that Ulverston has been chosen as the site for the facility. David Cameron, then Prime Minister, said the investment would provide a “huge boost to the area”.
December 2013: A dedicated website is launched to allow people to keep up-to-date with the development of the new facility.
January 2014: The pharmaceutical giant releases the first artists’ impressions of what its new site will look like.
February 2014: Bosses behind the £350m development say they are committed to replacing the site’s Sports and Social Club in North Lonsdale Road.
March 2014: Cumbria’s Local Enterprise Partnership unveils its Strategic Economic Plan – its vision for the county using its share of £1bn in government and European funding. The plan details a number of projects which aim to boost the Cumbrian economy, with funding in Ulverston used to create better infrastructure ahead of GSK’s biopharm facility.
June 2014: GSK submits the outline planning application the new centre. As well as providing 430 jobs during construction, the completed facility is expected to employ 700 workers.
September 2014: GSK receives planning approval in principle from South Lakeland District Council. The firm confirms that it will begin building later in the year, with the bulk of the work to take place between 2015 and 2018.
December 2014: The plans are officially given full approval.
January 2015: Work begins on the new site.
December 2015: New buildings are officially unveiled on site.
December 2016: The Mail, then the North West Evening Mail, exclusively reveals that GSK bosses are “revisiting” plans for the new facility. Barrow and Furness MP, John Woodcock, receives assurances that the investment is still fully secure.
July 2017: GSK announces that the plans for the facility have been scrapped.
Read more:
Future of GSK in Ulverston in doubt
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