Demolition of antibiotic factory approved

The GSK factory in Ulverston stopped production after a major contract came to an end

Part of a pharmaceutical factory which opened more than 75 years ago will be demolished.

GSK plc (formerly GlaxoSmithKline) ended its Cumbria operations earlier this year at its Ulverston site, after its contract for producing the antibiotic Zinnat for the Swiss-owned firm Sandoz came to an end.

Westmorland and Furness Council has granted permission for demolition of a single manufacturing building, with its associated tanks, pipe bridges, cooling towers and ancillary buildings.

GSK has selected Manchester-based demolition contractor KDC Veolia for the demolition, which is due to start in January and expected to take about a year.

Plans for the plant's closure were announced in 2021, with former workers saying it was a "sad day" for the town.

The application said all rubble coming from hard brick and concrete created during the destruction would be processed on site, and would have had any harmful material or contaminants removed from it

A mobile site crusher will also be installed on site, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Acoustic screening will be installed on site if the work is too noisy and road sweepers will clean the site and the public highway when needed.

Remedial works might be required after the project is completed if there is any evidence of deterioration of the ground and groundwater conditions beneath the site, the application added.