Concern over lack of progress on promised bottle making plant

Elgan Hearn Local Democracy Reporter

Councillors have asked for an update to be given on the development of a £390 million bottle making plant which could create hundreds of jobs in one of Wales’ most economically deprived areas.

At a meeting of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s Place scrutiny committee on Tuesday, September 10 concerns were raised at the lack of tangible progress being seen with the project in Ebbw Vale by Turkish firm CiNER.

Opposition Independent group leader Cllr Wayne Hodgins said: “There’s only one way to economically develop the borough and that’s to bring in employment, I think it’s time we had an update given on the CiNER project and these jobs.

“It seems to have gone cold, and we don’t want to get into the realms of the Circuit of Wales as we previously have been as an authority and wider community.

Cllr Hodgins alluded to the The Circuit of Wales project which was for a £425 million motor racing circuit and technology park development proposal on moorland on the outskirts of Ebbw Vale, which promised much but ultimately failed to materialise.

Job creation

Cllr Hodgins wanted to see something placed on the committee’s action plan to see Ciner discussed at a future meeting.

Cllr Hodgins said: “Not only for us the wider community are looking at this as well due to the levels of investment and jobs being created.”

Independent Cllr Gareth Alban Davies who represents the area where the development would be built said: “We do need information or briefing on CiNER.

“It’s been going on for nearly five years now and we don’t know where we are with it.

“I’m being constantly asked by people living in my ward (Rassau & Garnlydan) as it’s of great interest and likely to be a big employer.”

Committee chairman Labour’s Cllr Malcolm Cross said that due to commercial confidentiality the council’s legal team would need to check if this could be done.

Cllr Cross said: “It is part of our scrutiny duty to analyse this, but we need to make sure it’s all done legally.”

Business and regeneration service manager Owen Ashton said that the update could be provided in a briefing for councillrs after checking “what would be appropriate” to share.

This was agreed by the members.

Changes

In February, Blaenau Gwent planners approved amendments to the planning permission for the factory.

A year ago, it was revealed that CiNER wanted to make number of changes to the original planning permission that they were given for the scheme in June 2022 for a site on the Rassau Industrial Estate

Changes to the scale, height, layout, appearance, access, and landscape of were agreed and a condition about Great Crested Newts was deleted as the amphibians are not present at the site.

In a timely coincidence CiNER has just announced (Tuesday, September 10) that they have appointed Gokhan Sen as the new chief executive of CiNER Glass UK to help oversee the company’s expansion plans across Europe.

CiNER is currently working to build two new state-of-the-art glass factories to help increase its glass production capacity to serve the European market.

The first glass plant will be situated in Lommel, Belgium which they hope to have built by 2026 – their second factory is the one earmarked for Ebbw Vale.

The firm said that Mr Sen has been involved in “helping oversee” the planning application process, setting out and progressing project timelines and developing “key relationships” with customers and partners across both Wales and Belgium.

On the Ebbw Vale development a CiNER spokesman said: “The project would be one of the largest investments in south Wales for decades and would look to supply glass bottles to UK food and beverage producers.

“Following the approval of planning permission in 2022 to build the glass container manufacturing facility, CiNER has been progressing site works at the plant’s location while also engaging with suppliers across Wales. ”