Goodyear Dunlop dismisses government pleas over plant closure

The company says the proposal to shift manufacturing overseas is its only option

Goodyear Dunlop has poured cold water on continuing government attempts to prevent the company moving its race tyre manufacturing arm overseas.

Business minister Matthew Hancock yesterday insisted that officials were working "extremely hard" to keep the firm in Britain, and stressed "financial aid and new sites remain on the table".

However, Dunlop Motorsport said it remained the case that the key factor in its proposal to shift manufacturing from Birmingham to sites in Europe had always been one of time, and chiefly maintaining uninterrupted supply to its customers.

Earlier this month the company announced plans to move operations out of Erdington, where it has been based for decades, because its lease is ending on the site. Production is due to be shifted to existing plants in France and Germany, putting 241 jobs at risk.

James Bailey, Dunlop Motorsport's marketing and communications director, said the company appreciated interest from senior government figures, but said its "only option" was proposing the transfer to other plants.

Bailey said: "Over the past several months we have worked with the council and local agencies to identify and evaluate any local site alternatives. However, our challenge has always been one of timescale and being in a position to maintain continuity of supply to our key customers.

"Unfortunately no other appropriate site was available locally where a factory could be established in the timescale to allow us to maintain supply to our key customers. Within our timeline, the only option was to propose to transfer production to facilities that already have the necessary infrastructure."