SEISMIC shockwaves were rippling through South Lakeland yesterday with the announcement that one of the area’s biggest employers had shelved major expansion plans.

GlaxoSmithKline will not be going ahead with its anticipated £350million biopharmaceutical plant in Ulverston, which was set to more than double the workforce by up to 350 new staff.

And doubt has been cast over the future of the

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existing site and the future for its 345 employees, as the company announced that it was considering selling parts of the business and associated manufacturing facilities.

Barrow and Furness MP John Woodcock said it was ‘devastating’ that the plant, which would have been the first of its kind built by GSK in the UK in nearly 40 years, would not be going ahead.

Mr Woodcock has convened an emergency meeting for today (Thursday) at Ulverston’s Coronation Hall.

Held in private, the meeting will bring together key stakeholders, including GSK senior management, trade union representatives, local councillors, representatives of the Ulverston Business Improvement District, South Lakeland District Council and Cumbria County Council. It is scheduled to take place from 11 until noon.

“This is shocking news for our community and for GSK workers who had been seeing their site transformed in preparation for this flagship investment,” he said.

“It is devastating that the plug has been pulled on Ulverston’s exciting biopharmaceutical future after thousands of hours of planning and millions of pounds of investment since the Prime Minister came to Ulverston in 2012 to launch what was heralded as GSK’s first new manufacturing plant in the UK for more than 30 years.”

The news came as part of a series of several announcements from the pharmaceutical giant, all of which it is said would ‘improve the efficiency and competitiveness of its manufacturing network’.

The company said in a statement that it is to undertake a strategic review of its cephalosporins antibiotics operations, with an option to sell the business including the associated manufacturing facilities.

These medicines are produced at GSK sites in Ulverston, Cumbria, Verona in Italy and part of its Barnard Castle site.

Mr Woodcock said that the company had ‘stressed’ that no existing GSK jobs were immediately affected but that it would be ‘an anxious time for the workforce’.

“I will do everything I can in the coming weeks and months to ensure they have a secure future,” he said.

Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, described the news as a ‘massive blow’.

He said: “Many residents both directly and indirectly employed by GSK will be nervous about the prospect of the site being sold off. I am seeking clarification on the likely impact of the workforce if the site is sold off, and am keen to work with neighbouring MPs and the local council to secure the future of the site going forwards.”

Roger Connor, president, GSK Global Manufacturing and Supply said that the business had a ‘substantial manufacturing presence in the UK’ and continued to support the network with new investment of more than £140million in the next three years.

“At the same time, we have had to make some decisions which we know will cause uncertainty for some of our employees. We will do all we can to support them through this process,” he said.

Former Prime Minister, David Cameron, visited the GSK site at Ulverston for the announcement about the new factory in 2012.

Work had already started on the new facility with a view to it opening in 2021 and dozens of high value jobs were to be created.

Biopharmaceutical products are described as advanced medicines which treat a wide range of diseases including cancer, autoimmune and hereditary ailments.

Speaking at the time, Mr Cameron said: “This is excellent news, a major investment that will create many highly skilled jobs and provide a great boost to the economy.”

Speculating as to why the decision may have been made, Mark Wilson, who represents Ulverston on CCC and is also a district and town councillor, said the likelihood was that Brexit had unsettled GSK.

“There’s so much uncertainty,” he said. “The parent company is not British and they may well wish to put their investment elsewhere as there are so many unknowns.”

And Colin Pickthall, leader of Ulverston Town Council compared the news as being similar to what would happen if BAE were to close in Barrow.

“Whatever the reason or truth, this is a big blow for Ulverston,” Cllr Pickthall said. “It is a blow to lose the money that comes into the town through the workers; the loss of the huge business rates that the company pay to SLDC and the county council, some of which filters down to us.

“I was thinking only this morning about the number of people who are projecting the building of hotels and the conversion of buildings into rooms to let with half a mind thinking about the influx of workers who will want accommodation.”

He said that work was already underway and that GSK had invested millions in the demolition and building of car parks.

Chris Nelson, chairman of Ulverston BID, said that the plant was the ‘cornerstone’ for the economic future of the town but noted it was not the only important company with a presence.

“This is very sad news for Ulverston,” he said. “A lot of people have put a huge amount of effort into securing the original commitment to the new plant, and it was a cornerstone for the economic future of the town.

“The fact that GlaxoSmithKline is now reviewing its future ownership of the existing facilities makes this a double blow.

“GSK is a global company and makes its decisions on a global basis, but I am certain there will now a massive drive to safeguard the existing jobs at the Ulverston site, which has a skilled and committed workforce.”

He added that the news meant that efforts must be redoubled to attract new investment and jobs to the town.

“GSK is a very important presence in Ulverston, but we are fortunate to have a number of other outstanding companies in the town, such as Bender UK, Oxley Developments, Marl International, Forge Europa, Siemens, Tritech and FETL,” he said. “The focus must now be on attracting more of the same, to provide employment opportunities for the future.”