Recliner wrote:
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 15:48:21 on Sun, 13 Oct
2019, Recliner remarked:
Alternatively:

https://www.itv.com/news/utv/2019-10...principle-for-
wrightbus/

Yes, that seems to be more up to date, and better news.

I wonder if the plan is to keep building buses, or to make JCB's usual
diggers, bulldozers, etc? Or, perhaps both. as there doesn't seem to
be enough demand for buses to keep the factory open.


It looks like this is actually nothing to do with JCB. It seems that
Wightbus will become the BBC, with a focus on hydrogen buses:

https://www.irishnews.com/news/2019/10/12/news/as-jcb-heir-s-son-takes-wrightbus-reins-how-many-jobs-can-be-saved--1736870/

And no necessarily employing even most of the former employees.

Almost certainly not, as the factory was apparently over-manned. The former
owner was a religious Protestant, while the new one is Catholic, so that
might alter the employee profile.


But they do seem to have grabbed some adjacent farmland, whatever that
means to them.

It's not clear what the farmland is to be used for, as it's been donated by
Wright to Mid and East Antrim council, not to Bamford. As it's not part of
the factory, I wonder why the ownership needed to change? Perhaps it's
needed for access, or as a bus park?

An update:
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/jo-bamford-the-billionaire-s-son-who-took-the-bus-and-is-turning-it-green-ntv2mbc7k?shareToken=e3d8fd1e41bcdfb6642d68beab86a a54