Quinn Glass appeals plant closure order

Simeon Goldstein, Packaging News, 07 May 2009

 

Quinn Glass has vowed to appeal an order to close and demolish its Cheshire glass manufacturing and bottling plant within 18 months.

 

The Northern Ireland-owned firm confirmed it would be appealing the local authority order, which was made following a High Court ruling in April that the Quinn plant was unlawful as it did not have full planning permission.

 

Cheshire West and Chester Council’s order takes effect at the end of the month and requires Quinn to cease production within nine months.

 

In his High Court judgement on the case against Quinn and two councils involved, which was brought by rival Ardagh Glass, Judge Mole QC said Quinn had taken a calculated risk in building the facility without full consent.

 

Quinn’s plant is widely seen as one of the most advanced glass packaging factories in the world. However, the company began its construction in 2003 when it only had planning permission for a smaller plant and it has never received consent for the existing facility. The latest application was submitted in January 2008.

 

In a statement to Packaging News, Quinn said: The enforcement notice [from the council] does not take effect until 29 May and in the meantime Quinn Glass will be appealing in order to allow time for a full and proper determination of the planning permission.

 

The matter could now be decided by communities secretary Hazel Blears, who will need to determine the existence of exceptional circumstances for the plant’s construction in order to grant retrospective planning permission.

 

An Ardagh spokesman said that any loss of commercial and financial benefit to the owner of the plant or the local authority did not constitute exceptional circumstances.

 

However, packaging industry sources have privately expressed doubt over whether the government would order the closure of the plant, which directly employs 630 staff, in the current economic climate.