Historic Scottish bus firm puts Falkirk factory on market
Alexander Dennis announced plans to consolidate operations and relocate to Scarborough in June, sparking concern from leading Scottish politicians.
Alexander Dennis plans to move its Scottish operation to England. (Image: PA) The firm, which manufactures single decker and double decker buses, said the decision was made amidst rising competition from Chinese electric bus manufacturers.
At the time, managing director Paul Davies said: 'We must take significant action to drive efficiency to allow our operating model to be competitive.
"It is extremely regrettable that as part of this, we must place jobs at potential risk of redundancy and propose to cease manufacturing operations at some of our facilities."
In July, The Herald exclusively revealed that the firm had received £90m in subsidies from the Scottish Government over the last five years, despite plans to reduce its workforce by a third.
While operations at the Camelon factory are to cease with immediate effect, the firm's sister factory in Larbert is to remain open until current contracts are completed. A consultation of affected workers is ongoing.
Earlier this week, the Scottish Government expressed optimism that the firm would remain in Falkirk.
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said: 'We are hoping there is a package there which Alexander Dennis have indicated would satisfy their requirements to retain the jobs and retain the sites.
"When I have discussed that with the unions and the company themselves, it is the one they feel most optimistic about.
"We are very conscious that we're two weeks before the consultation ends, but our hope is that the consultation might be extended in order for us to work on potential solutions."
Read more:
How buying Chinese engulfed public funding row over Scots bus jobs going to England
Swinney got year-long warning England-bound bus firm was 'reconsidering' Scotland
FM in funding row as £90m public cash for Scots jobs given to firm going to England
An Alexander Dennis spokesperson said: "This does not represent a foregone conclusion and a final decision has not yet been made.
'We have been honest with stakeholders about the need to address the condition of the Falkirk site for some time, which is why significant investment was made to expand our Larbert site for vehicle manufacturing during 2023 and 2024.
'Alexander Dennis continues to engage with governments in good faith and the company remains committed to exploring all possible outcomes at this time."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
21 minutes ago
- The Independent
Badenoch says Truss ‘carries quite a lot blame' for Tory record of as war of words continues
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said Liz Truss 'carries quite a lot of' responsibility for the party's record amid a row over the party's direction. Responding after former prime minister Ms Truss accused her of 'repeating spurious narratives', Badenoch said she was 'very focused on what the Conservatives are going to do now'. The Leader of the Opposition faced questions about Ms Truss's claim that under the Conservatives, 'the economy was wrecked with profligate Covid spending by (Rishi) Sunak' and that 'the huge increase in immigration has been a disaster'. Mrs Badenoch told ITV Anglia: 'I know that, as a former prime minister and a former foreign secretary, (Ms Truss) carries quite a lot of that blame. 'The party's now under new leadership. 'I wasn't in charge during those 14 years; she was. 'That's a criticism she's probably levelling at herself.' The Tory leader also said she was 'telling the truth' about her party's record. 'I'm telling the truth that immigration was too high – that's why we have much tougher policies to fix immigration,' she continued. 'I am telling the truth that taxes were too high, that we were putting a lot of regulation on businesses, and what we're seeing is Labour making every single thing worse. 'They're doing that because they haven't learned many of the lessons that we learned. They haven't learned from our mistakes. They're making worse mistakes.' The Labour government's mistakes include making 'no cut in spending at all – the books were not balanced', Mrs Badenoch claimed. 'We're spending more on welfare than we are on defence – that cannot continue,' she said. Mrs Badenoch had previously told The Telegraph that 'for all their mocking of Liz Truss, Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have not learnt the lessons of the mini-budget and are making even bigger mistakes'. Ms Truss, who spent 49 days in Number 10, hit back when she said that 'instead of serious thinking', Mrs Badenoch was 'repeating spurious narratives'. She continued: 'I suspect she is doing this to divert from the real failures of 14 years of Conservative government in which her supporters are particularly implicated. 'It was a fatal mistake not to repeal Labour legislation like the Human Rights Act because the modernisers wanted to be the 'heirs to Blair'. 'Huge damage was done to our liberties through draconian lockdowns and enforcement championed by Michael Gove and Dominic Cummings. 'The economy was wrecked with profligate Covid spending by Sunak. The huge increase in immigration has been a disaster.' Mrs Badenoch also took questions about her identity, after she told the Rosebud podcast: 'I have not renewed my Nigerian passport, I think, not since the early 2000s. 'I don't identify with it any more, most of my life has been in the UK and I've just never felt the need to.' The North West Essex MP told ITV Anglia: 'I am definitely an Essex girl, that is a fact.' A London Assembly member before she took her Commons seat in 2017, Mrs Badenoch said: 'I represent an Essex constituency, these are my people. 'I was a Londoner, but Essex people asked me to be their MP, and I want to make sure that I do them proud. And I love this part of the world. 'It's fantastic being here. It's a rural community, and I've been talking to the farmers here. I talked about how my grandfather was a farmer, it's very hard work. 'The people of Essex and East Anglia – they are grafters. 'They work hard, and I want to make sure that we do right by them.' Mrs Badenoch spent Tuesday morning at a farm in Little Walden, where she tried her hand at harvesting wheat using a Claas Lexion combine harvester. She told farmers: 'A lot of farming just feels like constant interference. 'Everything is interfered from the minute you wake up.' Examples of interference included 'chemicals and insecticide, people you're hiring, how much you've got to pay them', plus changes to 'employers' NI (national insurance), then somebody wants to put pylons on, there's compulsory purchase, it's impacting the cost of the land, if you want to add a new farm building, there's planning applications', she said. 'It's just endless constant Government saying, 'You can't do this, you can't do that, you can't move forwards'. 'And the burden in my view has now crossed the threshold.'
BBC News
22 minutes ago
- BBC News
Hull businesses encouraged to apply for grant funding
Businesses are being encouraged to tap into city centre grant funding made available to refurbish vacant properties and create City Council has relaunched the scheme after it said part of the original £7.5m allocated for city regeneration remained authority said 31 businesses have made use of the funding, including ResQ, which received £750,000 towards its £3m refurbishment of the former Hammonds of Hull Paul Drake-Davis, portfolio holder for economic renewal, housing and organisation development, said: "This grant scheme has helped to realise the fantastic potential of our city centre." The £7.5m came from a £19.5m pot of government funding, awarded in November 2021 to "level up" the city now occupies four floors and has welcomed hundreds of new employees as a council said the grant scheme had helped to bring 19 buildings back into use and restored 14 heritage buildings, as well as occupying 18,399sq m (47,653sq km) of previously unused floor space and supporting close to 900 new jobs across the said it had also helped to bring almost £13m of private investment to the applications for the scheme will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and will need to be supported by a credible and deliverable business plan. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices
The Sun
22 minutes ago
- The Sun
Households can get FREE supermarket vouchers or council tax credits worth £150 NOW
FAMILIES are getting a £150 boost which they can receive as a supermarket voucher, a virtual energy card or a council tax credit. The leg-up comes from the government's Household Support Fund (HSF) - a huge £742 million fund available to councils across England. 2 The HSF is a government-backed scheme designed to help vulnerable households with essentials like food, energy bills and other living costs. Each council in England is allocated a portion of the £742 million fund, which it then distributes to residents struggling with the rising cost of living. Bromley London Borough Council is distributing payments of £150 to successful applicants through HSF. The money can be used for a virtual energy card, a supermarket voucher or credit added to a council tax account. Who is eligible for the support? Those over the age of 16 who are Bromley borough residents with a Bromley postcode. Priority will be given to first time applicants, according to Bromley Council's website. From May 27 to August 31 2025, the Council will process applications from: First time applicants Those who have not received support from HSF5 and/ or HSF6 between April 2024 and March 2025 From September 1 to March 31 2026, the Council will process applications from: First time applicants AND all others that meet the eligibility criteria, such as those awarded support from HSF5 and/or HSF6 between April 2024 and March 2025) Stop Making This Air Conditioning Mistake: How to Slash Your Summer Energy Bill All applicants will be required to prove the following: They have rent, energy, council tax or other financial arrears They have an income They are unable to meet their arrears in the form of bank statements for the last three calendar months Who is not eligible for the support? Those who are a family in receipt of school holiday vouchers Those living in temporary accommodation outside of the borough How can people apply? To claims the awards, this application must be completed. The Council only accepts applications through its website. Those who need help with their online application can call the enquiry line on 020 8461 7999. The line is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings between 9am and 12 noon. When will applicants know the Council's decision? The Council says it aims to response within three weeks of each individual's application submission date. Applicants will be notified of the Council's decision by email or post. What about those who don't live in Bromley? Councils across the country are actively paying out to families through the Household Support Fund scheme. Leicestershire is issuing hard-up households electronic fuel vouchers worth up to £98. Wealden District Council is handing out up to £200 to those on certain benefits. Meanwhile, low-income families in West Berkshire can claim up to £300 if they have three or more children. Household Support Fund explained Sun Savers Editor Lana Clements explains what you need to know about the Household Support Fund. If you're battling to afford energy and water bills, food or other essential items and services, the Household Support Fund can act as a vital lifeline. The financial support is a little-known way for struggling families to get extra help with the cost of living. Every council in England has been given a share of £742million cash by the government to distribute to local low income households. Each local authority chooses how to pass on the support. Some offer vouchers whereas others give direct cash payments. In many instances, the value of support is worth hundreds of pounds to individual families. Just as the support varies between councils, so does the criteria for qualifying. Many councils offer the help to households on selected benefits or they may base help on the level of household income. The key is to get in touch with your local authority to see exactly what support is on offer. The last round ran until the end of March 2025, but was extended. The current round is running between April 2025 and March 2026. 2
