Boots site job losses terrible for Beeston - council leader

Fareva said it would cease production at its Thane Road site and move operations to Wales

A council leader has warned plans to cut jobs at a Boots site in Nottingham would have a devastating impact on the area.

French firm Fareva currently makes pharmaceutical products at the factory in Thane Road, Beeston, but intends to shift manufacturing to Wales.

The company said the move had been prompted by a downturn in business.

Broxtowe Borough Council leader Milan Radulovic said the job losses would harm Beeston in the long-term.

The Labour council leader told BBC Radio Nottingham: "It's terrible news for Beeston and it's terrible news for the wider regeneration proposals we have for Beeston and south Broxtowe.

"My first reaction is one of real sorrow for those people who will be losing their jobs.

"The knock-on effect for Beeston is that we will potentially lose hundreds of highly paid, highly-skilled jobs in the local economy and that will have a huge impact on goods and services in the town.

"There is no good news whatsoever in this for Beeston and south Broxtowe.

"I feel it will have huge long-term impact on the viability of Beeston as a thriving town centre."

Mr Radulovic described Fareva's plan as a "resounding vote of no-confidence in this country's manufacturing base".

Mr Radulovic said the loss of highly paid and highly-skilled roles would affect Beeston town centre's viability

Fareva, which bought BCM (Boots Contract Manufacturing) in 2017, said affected Nottingham staff would be be prioritised for 150 new jobs it is creating at its base in Pontyclun in South Wales.

Well-known products such as Number 7 cosmetics, Soltan and Strepsils have been made at the D10 factory, along with branch products for supermarkets and pharmacies.

Fareva said its product testing service, research and development, commercial and procurement activities would continue to run from the Grade I-listed Beeston site.

A spokesman for Fareva said: "The effects of Covid and the recent political unrest in Europe have been unprecedented.

"Production volumes have decreased due to some customers moving production in-house and remaining business volumes are lower than their pre-Covid levels," he added.

Fareva said the loss of business had led to its sites having spare capacity.

The company said it was consulting with affected Nottingham staff and stated production would continue until 2024.

It said it would not make any redundancies until early next year.

Conservative MP for Broxtowe, Darren Henry, said he was "hugely concerned" and had arranged a meeting with Fareva "as a matter of urgency".