“This is a big loss for the town”: Luton Vauxhall workers react to factory closure plans

The parent company says it plans to move its electric van production to a plant in Ellesmere, Cheshire in April 2025 – putting more than 1,000 jobs in Luton at risk.

At its height, the Vauxhall factory in Kimpton Road employed as many as 37,000 people from the town and nearby areas.

But as it looks like Vauxhall will no longer have a manufacturing presence in the town, we heard from those impacted by the news.

Kayleigh Bexfield has three family members who, like her, also work at the factory. She said: “I started working at the Luton plant in 2019 as my first full time job after finishing college. I have now worked there for just over five years and I am gutted after hearing the news. This is a big loss for the town.”

Mohammed Iftekar Uddin called Vauxhall “the heartbeat of Luton”.

Mohammed Isaaq worked at the factory for 34 years and said: “I feel very sad at this news. I remember there used to be a workforce of 24,000 between Luton and Dunstable in the 70s. I pray that there is some better outcome for the people who are presently working there.”

Peter Brand’s family had been involved with the factory for generations. He had worked at the car plant for 19 years until he took his redundancy in 1995 when his team, the seat section division, was outsourced.

He explained: “This I think was the start of the demise of Vauxhall pulling out and closing manufacturing amongst the Luton sites.

“Look back in reflection: Luton car plant site gone and redeveloped, Vauxhall Toddington Road spares parts closed and gone and demolished and the land up for redevelopment, Vauxhall HQ in Osborne Rd now being stripped out with redevelopment in mind.

“It has only been a matter of time before the van line succumbed to the same fate.”

Tamar Lovindeer-Robinson, a Step Forward Luton ambassador, wrote to the the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) to express his views on the proposed closure. He said: “With approximately 1,100 jobs at risk, this closure represents not only an economic loss but also a profound blow to Luton's industrial identity.

"Luton's Vauxhall factory, which has been a cornerstone of our community since 1905 and began assembling vans in 1932, is more than a place of production – it is a symbol of pride, heritage, and resilience. Are we truly witnessing the end of this history before our very eyes?”

He urged the SSMT to engage with the council and those directly impacted by the plans, and to call for government action to support towns like Luton.

Last week, the leader of Luton Borough Council, Cllr Hazel Simmons MBE, called the plans “a devastating blow” for the town.

She said: “First and foremost, our thoughts are with the employees and their families who have received this deeply distressing news.”

Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds, said the government’s “number one priority is the people of Luton”.