After months of speculation, motor industry body SMMT has reacted with delight to news that the new generation Vauxhall/Opel Astra will be made at Ellesmere Port on Merseyside from 2010.
The announcement secures 2,200 jobs and means production will increase to 180,000 units annually with staff working on three shifts. Ellesmere Port will build the Station Wagon and five-door hatchback with a significant proportion of production for export.
Since 2002 Ellesmere Port product quality has improved by 76 per cent, while productivity has risen by 13 per cent in the last year alone. This achievement, alongside close work with the local community and development agency, has helped bring the Astra to Britain.
‘This is an endorsement of hard work and commitment by British workers,’ commented SMMT chief executive, Christopher Macgowan. ‘We all recognise the pressures on manufacturing in global markets but today’s decision is proof that Britain can still hold its own when it comes to driving up quality and productivity. It’s great news for all the staff on Merseyside and for the British motor industry as a whole.’
