17/12/2004

Ford investment in east London plant welcomed

A £4.5m grant to create up to 460 jobs at a manufacturing facility in Dagenham, Essex, has been announced by Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt.

The Department of Trade and Industry grant, Selective Finance for Investment in England (SFIE), has been offered to Ford Motor Company Limited as part of a £169m investment project to build two diesel engines, creating up to 460 jobs. The project has been secured for Dagenham in the face of strong European competition.

"This is great news for Ford workers and a huge boost to Dagenham this Christmas. It shows the Government's firm commitment to high-value automotive manufacturing and we have worked hard, along with Ford and the London Development Agency, to make it a reality," said Patricia Hewitt. "Today's announcement helps maintain the UK position as a global centre of automotive manufacturing excellence"

Mayor of London Ken Livingstone described the jobs announcemnt as "fantastic news for Dagenham and the wider Thames Gateway",

He said: "As well as help from the DTI, this investment has resulted from the excellent work of the London Development Agency and the Learning & Skills Council London East who have agreed in principle to contribute together nearly £13m to this initiative so that 1800 people can benefit from a comprehensive training package at the Dagenham plant.

"This new investment underlines the commitment of central government and regional agencies to work in partnership with the private sector to regenerate the area. We will continue to work closely together to bring better employment, training and business opportunities for local people in the Thames Gateway and across the capital".

Ford of Britain Chairman Roger Putnam commented: "We are delighted that we will now enhance our presence here with this important project. It is good news for Ford, for the economy of East London and for the UK as a whole. The investment, will transform Dagenham into a state of the art facility."

Last month the DTI awarded GETRAG FORD Transmissions, a Ford partnership, a £5 million grant to build a new six-speed transmission system, resulting in 736 being jobs being safeguarded in Halewood, Merseyside.

Ford Motor Company employs 335,000 people worldwide, and in 2003 generated revenues of more than $164 billion.

(SP)

Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

21 November 2013
52-Year-Old Man Killed By Stolen Car In East London
A pedestrian has been killed in east London after being hit by a stolen car, police have reported. According to police the 52-year-old man was walking on Forest Drive, close to Manor park station, when he was hit by a blue Ford Focus on Wednesday.
25 October 2012
1,300 Expected Jobs Losses As Ford Announce Closures
1,300 jobs are to be lost as Ford announce it is to close its transit van plant in Southampton and a stamping operation in Dagenham – shedding one in 10 of the car maker's UK workforce. According to Unite the closures are due to complete next summer.
24 June 2015
Police Appeal For Information Following Cash-In-Transit Van Robbery
Police in Liverpool have appealed for information on a cash-in-transit van robbery in the city on Monday. Police are searching for a blue Ford Focus that they believe was involved in the robbery outside the Toby Carvery pub on Queens Drive.
10 July 2008
Multiple Fatalities In Leicestershire Crash
Six people have died in a collision between a car and a lorry in Leicestershire, police have confirmed. The A607 near Melton Mowbray was closed in both directions following the crash. Police were called to the scene of the collision about a mile south of the town centre at 1.55am on Thursday.
31 May 2007
Police appeal over missing businessman
Greater Manchester Police have issued a fresh appeal over the disappearance of a man who disappeared from his home in Didsbury a year ago. Sarwar Al-Hafeed, 38, was last seen by his wife, Dana, at his home on Wilmslow Road, before he left for work at 7:15am on the morning of May 31, 2006.