Huge UK car factory left abandoned for 19 years after 25,000 staff laid off is set to be transformed
A HUGE UK car factory left abandoned for 19 years after thousands of jobs lost is set to be transformed.
The MG Rover car plant in Birmingham was once the largest in Europe before 25,000 staff suddenly found themselves without a job in 2005.
Andy Street, former Mayor of the West Midlands, previously said the event was one of the “darkest days in the history” of the region.
Fast forward 19 years and part of the site is set to become a new unit for research, development and manufacturing purposes.
The new site could potentially provide a range of employment opportunities in Birmingham.
The development is set to be a “positive inward investment” into the region, according to a council officer’s report.
The plans were sent by Allsee Technologies Limited, an electronics manufacturer, BirminghamLive reports.
The city council’s planning committee met to consider the proposals earlier this month.
They said: “It would support the provision of high-quality employment opportunities.
“There would be no adverse impact on the amenity of neighbouring occupiers and the proposed development would have a beneficial impact on ecology and landscape locally.”
Colin Green, Cllr, supports the plans, which will see the site transformed, after being derelict for 19 years.
He added: “This site has been set aside for 19 years in the hope that some employment land would be used – I’m very pleased.”
The Longbridge plant in Birmingham, West Midlands, remained frozen in time for nearly two decades after its collapse in 2005.
The powerhouse once employed more than 25,000 workers.
A photographer visited the site ten years after its closure and found personal items gathering dust in abandoned offices.
There were skeletons of cars still sitting on the assembly lines that grounded to a halt.
After the devastating closure, there were around 300 stores left in Longbridge before, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation – who bought out MG Rover – confirmed they were stopping production and moving to China.
The photographer said: “It was quite sad but also a privilege to see, as Rover was a massive employer in its day.”
It comes after a major car brand’s former 370-acre factory in the UK has finally been demolished.
And this British car brand has confirmed it will scrap all models except for its SUV range ahead of a shift to an EV-only lineup.