Talks to be held over closure of Aga Coalbrookdale foundry
Talks will be held with Aga Rangemaster over its plans to close the Coalbrookdale Foundry, Telford & Wrekin Council said today.
There has been outcry in the borough after the company announced it intended to cease production at the factory.
Now, the leader of the council says he will be working with the company's employees to help where it can and will be making contact with the firm to find out more about their plans.
Councillor Davies said: "This decision is so regrettable given the historical importance of the site.
"The council will do what it can to support those workers that need help and support.
"The council will also be making contact with the owners of the site to understand their immediate plans."
STAR COMMENT: Closure is a blow to our history
The move will impact on 35 jobs, although some foundry operators will move to other roles.
Aga, which has consulted with union officials, said ‘everything possible’ is being done to mitigate the impact of any compulsory redundancies, but said that the foundry is no longer economically viable.
The company’s factory at Ketley will be kept open, with iron for the Aga ovens assembled there being sourced from other foundries across the UK and the EU, which are not part of the Aga Rangemaster group.
The move brings an end to centuries of iron production on the site and removing the last major industrial name from the Cradle of Industry.
The Aga-Rayburn Factory in Coalbrookdale is located on one of the original foundry sites of Abraham Darby I where he first smelted iron ore with coke in 1709.
The Ironbridge community says it has been "saddened" over the loss of its iconic foundry.
The upcoming closure of the Coalbrookdale Foundry by owners Aga Rangemaster was discussed at a community event held in Coalport Village Hall on Wednesday, where residents said they were disappointed by the news.
But the community says it is already looking at new opportunities that could come from the site.
Councillor Nicola Lowery ,Telford & Wrekin Council ward member for the Ironbridge Gorge, who attended the meeting, said there were hopes it would stay for residential use.
She said: “There is significant history to this site in terms of its industrial heritage.
"Many in the community are saddened by the news that AGA have taken decision to cease the manufacture of castings at Coalbrookdale.
"However, we are very optimistic for the future and the potential of this site moving forward. From speaking with members of the community since the announcement, there has been a lot of discussion on what opportunities could exist for the future of this site with the preference being for it to remain in commercial use.
"To use the site for residential purposes would personally be a very short-sighted approach, considering the potential and archaeological significance of this site and would present many challenges in terms of the remediation work that would be required due to the commercial waste on this site such as ash, metal slag and residuals."
The site has been a big employer and many people who have worked at the foundry have described it as being like a family, and say generations have all worked in Coalbrookdale.
Councillor Lowery added: "We remain optimistic that an industrial use can be found either by an investor with a clear vision for the site to either produce the castings for multiple suppliers or if there is opportunity for a consortium of smaller businesses to occupy the site for commercial use.
"A lot of residents locally have worked at the foundry or been connected to the site in some way and there is a significant amount of local knowledge to enable us to explore its history and inform discussions moving forward.
" As the borough councillor for the Ironbridge Gorge I hope that AGA will work closely with the local community to enable them to contribute to future plans for this site to ensure we obtain a use that not only protects and enhances the foundry’s industrial history but realises our aspirations for the future”.
The proposed closure of the foundry ‘very disappointing’ by Unite.
The closure of the Aga Coalbrookdale foundry is due to take place in November and the union says it is already working on behalf of staff.
Unite regional officer Matt Jones said: “Unite is currently in consultation with Aga management to save as many jobs as possible.
“We are also requesting retention and compensation packages for our members at risk through the proposed closure.
“This is a very disappointing announcement for our members and we will be doing everything possible to support members through this difficult time.”
The union said that the news is connected to the announcement by Aga Rangemaster’s US owners Middleby Corporation that more than 30 jobs are being lost at Waterford Stanley in Ireland.
The castings for Waterford Stanley cast-iron heating stoves and cookers are made in Aga Coalbrookdale and assembled in Ireland. The Waterford Stanley operation equates to 20 per cent of the work carried out at Aga foundry in Coalbrookdale.
It is proposed that the Aga castings for cookers will also be outsourced, but the building, assembly, sales, spares and after sales activity will continue to operate from the Aga Telford site.
Lucy Allan, Telford's Conservative MP, said: "This is very sad news for Telford.
"The Coalbrookdale Foundary is an iconic symbol of Telford's proud Industrial past and its closure will be a huge loss to our community. It is part of our heritage."
Kuldip Sahota, Labour's candidate for the constituency in the upcoming General Election and the former leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, said: "Any loss of jobs or companies in Telford is always bad news, if means those jobs are going and people will need to find other employment.
"I am not to happy about it, I was saddened to hear the news.
"I don't know whether the company sought any assistance from Government but something should have been done to save those jobs."
Richard Sheehan, chairman of the Shropshire Chamber of Commerce, said he was also saddened to see the loss of the "iconic" foundry.
He said that there was "always a risk of cuts" since Aga Rangemaster had been taken over by the American Middleby Corporation in 2015.
But he said there were lots of opportunities in Telford for people who had lost their jobs as a result of the closure.
