Leicestershire metalworks confirms closure with hundreds of jobs at risk

Hundreds of jobs could be lost after a metal factory in Leicestershire confirmed it is to close. Bosses said the move was made with “great sadness” as production leaves the UK altogether.

The fate of the Saint-Gobain PAM UK site in Holwell, near Melton, has been left uncertain after its owners submitted proposals to close the foundry in March. The consultations focused on moving the production of access covers and grills to a part site in Blénod, France.

Bosses previously said Covid-19 and Brexit had made the Leicestershire site “uncompetitive”, with the proposal putting 161 jobs at risk. PAM bosses at Saint-Gobain have now confirmed that the site will close later this year after the move to France was completed.

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The exact number of job losses is not clear at this stage. Saint-Gobain PAM said the decision to close was made with “great sadness”, with the Holwell foundry having been part of the community for nearly 150 years.

Alan Gwilliam, the company’s UK managing director, said: “We will be moving production to a site that has received considerable investment in recent years to enable it to manufacture products with significantly lower carbon emissions. This is a considerable driver for our business and our customers as we play our part in addressing the climate emergency and trying to reduce our overall impact on the environment.”

The first phase of the closure is expected in September, according to Mr Gwilliam, who said all affected staff are being “actively assisted” through the process. He said some Saint-Gobain PAM employees had been helped to apply for jobs elsewhere in the business, while the company was “actively working in collaboration” with the Job Center to help some to retrain and get help writing CVs.

Mr Gwilliam acknowledged the history of the Howell site, saying it had been an “important part” of the area since 1875. He said the firm would do everything it could to honor that history when the factory closes, which is due to be completed by the end of the year.

He said: “We intend to mark the closure in a respectful way which recognizes the long history and heritage of the Holwell site and the role it has played in the local community.”

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