Before the coronavirus pandemic, the complete closure of the Bridgend Ford engine plant this coming September would’ve been one of the major economic developments in the Welsh economy during 2020. Now it seems like a footnote.
One of the main developments on that front was the chemicals company, Ineos, selecting Bridgend to be the site of a new factory building a new off-road vehicle (Ineos Grenadier).
In the last few days, the company submitted its plans to Bridgend Council for the factory, which will be built at the new Welsh Government-backed Brocastle business park located to the south of the Ford plant.
The factory, which will be approximately 30,000sqm (about a fifth of the size of the Bridgend Ford plant), will include production and logistics lines.
A small two-storey office and administration building will include offices, an on-site gym, a salesroom, workshop and a canteen. It’s expected up to 500 jobs will eventually be created.
Given the present economic uncertainty, it’s unclear when work will start on the factory, though production of the new vehicle was originally expected to start in 2021.
