Currently reading: Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port plant to resume production in August

Boost for British workers as facility to open ahead of schedule due to rise in 'commercial activity'

Vauxhall will resume production at its Ellesmere Port factory on 17 August, despite initially suggesting that it would be shut until at least the start of September due to low demand for the Astra hatchback built there.

The factory near Liverpool has been shut since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic, and remained closed despite other European facilities owned by the British firm’s parent company, the PSA Group, opening. Those plants included the Vauxhall factory in Luton, which added a third production shift utilising volunteer workers from Ellesmere Port due to high demand for the commercial vehicles produced there.

PSA manufacturing boss Yann Vincent has now confirmed that production will resume at Ellesmere Port in mid-August, and work is under way with unions to introduce more than 100 health and safety protocols developed by the group to combat the spread of Covid-19.

Policies include social distancing measures, employee temperature checks, compulsory use of glasses, goggles and masks on site, and extra cleaning measures.

“As industrial activity is driven by commercial activity, we are gradually and safely resuming our industrial activity at Ellesmere Port,” Vincent said. “I would particularly like to praise the contribution of the Ellesmere Port employees who have supported the ramp-up of the production of the Luton plant with a temporary transfer.”

READ MORE

Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port: Still no date set for reopening

PSA Ellesmere Port factory investment will hang on EU trade deal 

Vauxhall set to build next-generation Astra at Ellesmere Port

Join our WhatsApp community and be the first to read about the latest news and reviews wowing the car world. Our community is the best, easiest and most direct place to tap into the minds of Autocar, and if you join you’ll also be treated to unique WhatsApp content. You can leave at any time after joining - check our full privacy policy here.

James Attwood

James Attwood, digital editor
Title: Acting magazine editor

James is Autocar's acting magazine editor. Having served in that role since June 2023, he is in charge of the day-to-day running of the world's oldest car magazine, and regularly interviews some of the biggest names in the industry to secure news and features, such as his world exclusive look into production of Volkswagen currywurst. Really.

Before first joining Autocar in 2017, James spent more than a decade in motorsport journalist, working on Autosport, autosport.com, F1 Racing and Motorsport News, covering everything from club rallying to top-level international events. He also spent 18 months running Move Electric, Haymarket's e-mobility title, where he developed knowledge of the e-bike and e-scooter markets. 

Join the debate

Comments
3
Add a comment…
scotty5 15 July 2020

Good news

Well that is good news because I thought the original start date meant Ellesmere was on the closure list.

typos1 15 July 2020

scotty5 wrote:

scotty5 wrote:

Well that is good news because I thought the original start date meant Ellesmere was on the closure list.

That will only happen once the fat, lying **** we ve got for a prime minister and the extreme right wing, incomepetent load of tits he has in his govenment, cause us to leave with no deal due to their stupid and unreasonable demands for to have our cake and eat it.

xxxx 16 July 2020

Typos1 - usual muppethead hate post

I get the strange feeling alot of people will be gutted by this news.  Good news for all that work there, the haters will just have to quell their disapointment for another day.