Thornton chemical giant AGC delivers latest on consultation as 200 jobs hang in the balance
“There is no change at present – we remain in consultation with employees and their representatives.”
Chemical giant AGC - the company at the centre of a land contamination probe - says it is still in consultation with staff over proposals to cease production.
AGC Chemicals Europe Ltd operates from the former ICI Hillhouse site and announced a 45 day consultation period in July with almost 200 jobs hanging in the balance - 190 permanent staff and 18 agency workers.
A spokesperson for AGC said: “There is no change at present – we remain in consultation with employees and their representatives.”
The company has been operating a fluoropolymer manufacturing facility, which was acquired from ICI, within the Hillhouse Technology Enterprise Zone at Thornton since 1999.
Fluoropolymer manufacturing at Hillhouse dates back to the 1950s and with ICI Hillhouse and the Burn Naze Chemical Works, the area has served as a major chemical manufacturing site since the 1890s.
Bosses at the former ICI plant say all roles at the site are affected but no final decision on the proposal has been made at this time.
This proposal has been made because the site has experienced significant financial and operational challenges, generating a loss for the past four years.
Bosses said despite continued investment from AGC Inc. and the hard work of Hillhouse employees, the situation is no longer sustainable in the context of a volatile and competitive market.
When they announced the consultation as company spokesperson said that their immediate focus is the people who are affected and wanted to begin a meaningful process.
“The consultation is expected to take at least 45 days. AGC Chemicals Europe, Ltd. will work closely with unions and employee representatives with a view to seeking their agreement on various matters, including how we might avoid or reduce dismissals and mitigate the impact for employees.”
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Contamination Probe
Wyre Council launched a multi-agency investigation in 2024 to consider potential historic contamination from the former ICI site - now operated by AGC Chemicals Europe Ltd
The investigation is looking into whether Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), used on the site between the 1950s and 2012 and released into the air, may have been deposited on land in the surrounding area.
The Environment Agency has presented conclusions stating that Sandringham Avenue Allotments and those on Occupation Road in Thornton meet the criteria to be determined as contaminated land under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
These conclusions follow two phases of shallow soil sampling carried out at the site last year, which found PFOA levels above the low-risk interim screening level for soils where produce is grown in an allotment setting. The results have already been published on the multi-agency webpages here: www.wyre.gov.uk/multi-agency
Wyre Council is currently considering the Environment Agency’s conclusions and continues to follow the legal steps set out under Part 2A.
The wider multi-agency investigation into potential historic contamination linked to part of the Hillhouse Technology Enterprise Zone remains ongoing.