Argyll and Bute Council moves the Vestas situation on

Argyll and Bute Council held a formal feedback meeting on Friday 5th September to explore ways of resolving the situation in Campbeltown with the proposed closure of the Vestas wind-turbine manufacturing plant out at Machrihanish. Friday’s meeting used a video-conferencing link between Dunoon and Campbeltown to enable a wide audience to take part.

Since Vestas announced its plans to close the factory, with the loss of 92 jobs, the Council has been working closely with its partners to try and save the plant and protect Kintyre’s already fragile economy.

The Minister for Enterprise, Jim Mather MSP, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and trade unions all met separately with senior Vestas officials over the last few weeks to discuss the situation and discover what, if anything, might be done to save the factory. Mr Mather and the unions reported that these meetings had been constructive. In the Minister’s case, there are issues arising from his discussions with Vestas that he cannot discuss openly for reasons of confidentiality. This itself would indicate a degree of optimism.

Council Leader, Dick Walsh, says: ‘We must continue to do everything in our power to save this factory. The local economy in Kintyre has already received a number of blows over the last few years and we cannot allow this to happen again.

‘Today’s (Friday’s) meeting went very well and we must try to remain positive. I can understand that the workforce are very anxious about their future and the uncertainty of the plant but I can assure them that we will continue to work together to prioritise retaining Vestas at the site. Given that no firm decision has yet been taken by the company we will continue to identify what can be done.”

The trade unions and Vestas representatives are meeting again on 11th September, raising the question of why a single meeting with Vestas of all key interests in the matter does not seem to be on the agenda.