Bathgate Lorry Plant

The name Bathgate is synonymous with that of a well-intentioned Government policy that went hopelessly wrong. With some traditional industries in post-war terminal decline a number of Special Development Areas, the West Lothians included, were created where extra financial inducements were offered by the British Government to assist companies wishing to relocate here. To further ?help? businesses to come to that decision the Government also refused to grant any new Industrial Development Licences (allowing the construction of new factory buildings) to any manufacturing company in the industrial heartlands of England.

Related Topics:
Government - British Government - England

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So when the BMC, (which consisted of the merged Austin Motor Company in Longbridge and Birmingham and Morris Motors in Oxford) wanted to expand the Longbridge site in 1961 and build a new Lorry plant in an adjacent field in Cofton Hackett it was informed that if it wished to continue manufacturing lorries then it was obliged to apply to build the plant in a Special Development Area. The Coventry-based Rootes Group was similarly persuaded to open a plant in Linwood. Despite warnings from the manufacturing industry that this was a disastrous policy for the country as a whole, the Government still went ahead and rather than spreading the industry around in a ?prosperity for all scenario? it just had the debilitating effect of reducing the strength of areas such as the West Midlands. When the recession came, in the 1980s, companies were less able to protect themselves with their assets scattered all over the country and the Lorry Factory that was opened at a cost of £12m in 1961, duly closed in 1985.

Related Topics:
BMC - Austin Motor Company - Longbridge - Birmingham - Morris Motors - Oxford - 1961 - Lorry - Coventry - Rootes Group - Linwood - West Midlands - 1980 - 1985

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