BCA shuts down Chipping Warden site, 200 jobs at stake

Employees at the Chipping Warden branch of Constellation Automotive-owned remarketing giant British Car Auctions (BCA) have been left reeling after the business announced it will be closing the site, with around 200 workers set to lose their jobs.

Staff were informed of the unexpected decision late last month with BCA stating that operations will be relocated to existing facilities in Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire.

Last year, BCA significantly expanded its Thurleigh facility, already one of Europe’s largest combined remarketing, logistics, defleet and refurbishment centres which is strategically located just off the A6 north of Bedford.

The expansion increased the facility's footprint to over 200 acres, adding hard standing for an additional 5,000 vehicles and expanding workshop capacity for more technical and inspection services, as well as a full range of remarketing activities. The expansion created over 100 new jobs to support the increased vehicle volumes managed at the site.

The previous year, BCA entered into consultation with staff over business restructure plans that involve the closure of its vehicle preparation centre closure at Upper Heyford before closing the site at the end of that March as part of a move which saw services from the facility moved to Corby. It said at the time that the Corby facility, which was then a retail preparation operation, would be repurposed to deliver the services required.

That news came six months after it emerged that the business was consulting staff at its Derby, Peterborough and Sandwich facilities ahead of a planned restructure following a review of the “scale and capability” of its UK operations.

Workers at the Chipping Walden facility which was sold in 2016 by Ambrosetti have been given a 45-day consultation period to prepare for the closure, with the final working day scheduled for March 14.

Many employees have expressed shock and frustration at the abrupt announcement, with one worker telling the Banbury Guardian: “We had no notice. The announcement about about 200 redundancies and the centre relocating to Bedford just came completely out of the blue. Just before Christmas, we were being told to increase production, and we were smashing out more cars than normal - this is the thanks we get!”

The company, which calls itself “Britain’s biggest used vehicle business”, has justified the closure as part of a strategic shift.

A spokesperson stated: “BCA confirmed that the Chipping Warden Remarketing Centre is set to relocate to other sites it operates in Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire and has opened consultation with staff. Like all businesses, BCA needs to evolve its operational base in line with its growth journey and the changing external environment and needs of our customers to ensure we continue to provide market-leading service and support.”