Vion will close Hall’s of Broxburn plant in February

Dutch company Vion has confirmed that it will close its Hall’s of Broxburn site, ultimately in February. With the fate of thousands of employees now resting on the company finding a buyer for the troubled plant, the company also announced that it intends will initiate a phased shut down of the West Lothian plant later this month if a sustainable solution is not found.

The company completed a 90-day consultation period with the 1,700 workers at Hall’s and said that despite doing everything in its power to save the plant, it had been “unable to identify any viable alternative” to closure.

A spokesperson for John Swinney, the Scottish government’s finance secretary, said the government shall continue to support the community. The finance secretary is heading a taskforce set up to find solutions for the plant’s closure.

Meanwhile, the local council leader, John McGinty, has called on Vion to do the right thing, adding that other companies have submitted bids for the Scottish plant.