Hundreds of jobs under threat at Grangemouth chemical plant

Hundreds of jobs are under threat in Grangemouth after an agricultural chemical firm announced plans to cease operations at the site.

Syngenta said it had been unable to make its business at the plant "competitive" in the face of "increasing international competition".

A spokesperson for the company - which manufactures chemicals used for the protection of crops - said it would enter a consultation period over the move, but added a final decision has yet to be taken.

The Economy Secretary, Stephen Flynn, described the plans as "extremely disappointing".

The UK government's Reindustrialisation Minister, Blair McDougall, said they had worked with Scottish counterparts to "explore every possible avenue" for support, but Syngenta had taken the decision on a commercial basis.

A total of 377 workers are set to be affected by the move.

It comes over a year after Syngenta was awarded £2.2m from Scottish Enterprise to expand production at the site.

It is the latest job loss blow to the area following the closure of the nearby oil refinery in April last year, which also resulted in the loss of about 400 jobs.

In March, bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis announced plans to close its Falkirk plant with 115 roles lost.

The UK government, under then-Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, previously pledged an additional £200m in funding for Grangemouth from the National Wealth Fund.

Flynn said the Scottish government had "strongly opposed" Syngenta's plans.

He said he would continue to press the UK government on the £200m funding pot.

"My thoughts are with the workers, their families and the local community who will be affected by this decision," he said.

"We made clear to Syngenta's board our strong opposition to any potential scale down or closure of their Grangemouth site."

Flynn added: "During this period of consultation, I sincerely hope that the UK government will now provide some of the £200m committed to Grangemouth, since not a single penny has yet been allocated from that fund promised in 2024."

McDougall said the UK government would work with the National Wealth Fund in the coming days to "explore all options for the area".

"I know this will be a deeply concerning time for workers at Syngenta and their families, and I met with the company earlier today to discuss all options for the site and the workforce," he said.

"We will continue to work closely with both of them and look at all options for the site and the workforce."

The Scottish Green Party co-leader, Gillian Mackay, said the move was another "devastating blow" for the area.

"Our governments should be doing more to protect jobs and ensure that workers can benefit from our transition to a greener future," she said.

"Grangemouth is my home, and I am concerned about what this will mean for the local community if it goes ahead."