A MAJOR car brand’s former 370-acre factory in the UK has finally been demolished.
Honda‘s auto plant in Swindon ceased production in July 2021 and left around 3,500 workers were left out of a job.
Work to knock down the site on the old South Marston airfield began on March 4.
Aerial photos have revealed the extent of the demolition.
The area is being developed by Panattoni after plans were approved in January, The Swindon Advertiser reports.
The scheme will see 11 buildings put up on the huge site, including manufacturing sites or warehouses.
The £700million redevelopment was confirmed following 22 months, 893 documents and at least two planning committee meetings.
“The development will add a value of £295m each year, or £1.2billion over the first decade to the local economy,” said Panattoni’s development director James Watson.
It comes after a car dealership announced it is closing 16 sites and cutting hundreds of jobs.
The blow to CarStore sites, previously owned by Pendragon, comes just months after the company was taken over by US firm Lithia.
In a statement the company, which also manages Evans Halshaw and Stratstone, said the decision was made in order to focus on the other two branch giants.
The news has left 250 employees with the harsh reality that they’re being made redundant.
While 16 stores are shutting up shop, four CarStore sites will be retained and refranchised.
Meanwhile seven CarStore pods will become Evans Halshaw Direct sites.
Lithia bosses said: “The company is preparing to cut roughly 250 roles across the UK.
“The vast majority of the losses will come from closing 16 CarStore sites, including seven warehouse-sized showrooms that were intended to help drive down the cost of selling second-hand models through economies of scale.”
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