Lafarge Cement close other half of Westbury

Just five months after halving production at the Westbury plant in Wiltshire, Lafarge Cement have announced they are to mothball the entire factory.

The company is struggling to deal with the lack of demand for heavyside building materials. A consultation process with the plant’s 68 employees has begun.

Lafarge Cement’s UK managing director Erdogan Pekenc said: “Westbury Works has played an important role in our UK business network for many years, and it is with regret that, despite the proactive actions we have taken to manage the impact of these challenges, we are currently unable to continue operations at the site.”

He blamed high energy prices and further deterioration in market conditions since September for the decision.