RELIEF will be felt among the 700-strong workforce at Quinn Glass after the Secretary of State decided planning permission for the Elton factory will stand.
In September, Cheshire West and Chester Council’s strategic planning committee backed the retrospective application in the latest twist of a long-running saga.
But it was thought likely John Denham, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, would ‘call-in’ the scheme for a public enquiry given the development has been hotly contested by rivals Ardagh Glass, supported by about 70 locals.
Andrew Miller, MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston, expressed delight at the long-awaited planning decision allowing the factory, completed in 2005, to continue operating.
He said: “This saga, which has been driven by the actions of Quinn’s competitors, has taken far too long to resolve and I hope that other companies will now realise that the way to compete is by investing in British jobs and not by employing spoiling tactics in the court room.
“Today’s announcement means that nearly 700 families directly reliant upon the Quinn factory for their income can sleep soundly, as can many more people working in the supply chain.
“Innovators like Quinn are vital if Britain is to successfully compete in the world and I will continue to work with them in the interests of high quality jobs in my constituency.
“The Quinn factory has massively reduced our dependency on imports and their pioneering approach has resulted in significant environmental gains in bottle manufacturing and filling.”
Residents have complained about noisy HGVs serving Quinn.
But the latest scheme includes provision for a 2m acoustic fence to mitigate the problem.
