As it seeks planning permission for its giant glass packaging plant in Elton, Cheshire (northern England), Northern Ireland“s Quinn Glass has run into opposition from a UK trade union and members of …
As it seeks planning permission for its giant glass packaging plant in Elton, Cheshire (northern England), Northern Ireland“s Quinn Glass has run into opposition from a UK trade union and members of parliament. Trade union Amicus claims the new plant, whose annual capacity of half a million tonnes will make it the largest in the UK, could threaten as many as 800 jobs at existing glassworks across northern England, including Beatson Clark“s in Rotherham and Barnsley, and Rockware Glass in Doncaster. The union is angry that the proposed new plant might even obtain a government subsidy through the Objective 1 scheme and say this would give Quinn Glass an unfair trading advantage. They want Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott to exercise his power to block the the planning application if he considers that it threatens existing jobs. Rotherham MP Dr. Denis MacShane is among a number of MPs supporting the union campaign to halt the development. “Any form of subsidy is problematic. I regularly get complaints from firms outside Objective One areas that feel they don“t get the same help as those inside them,” said Dr. MacShane. ” But this support must take place within a strict set of guidelines and not lead to the destruction of existing jobs.” Dr. MacShane said he intended writing to Mr Prescott to ask him to look into the proposed Quinn development in Cheshire, and to investigate claims by Amicus that the new plant would be bigger than first thought. Amicus has already criticised the impact it claims the new plant would have on the environment in terms of nitrogen oxide emissions and traffic problems. Millionaire businessman Sean Quinn has already set up a similar plant in Northern Ireland which Amicus says has forced a long-established glassworks to close. Amicus spokesman MIke Frizelle said: “Quinn appears to be gaining an unfair advantage over existing and established employers in Yorkshire”. “This plant could only operate by destroying existing UK capacity.”