AGC Chemicals Proposed Closing Its Lancashire Plant in July. By September, 208 Jobs Were Confirmed Gone.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
In short. AGC Chemicals Europe proposed closing its Hillhouse fluoropolymer plant in Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, on 13 July 2026, putting 208 roles at risk: 190 employees and 18 agency staff [1]. On 14 September, after completing consultation with employee representatives, the company confirmed the decision: manufacturing ends by 31 December 2026 [2]. The ledger logs a loss of 208, graded ANNOUNCED, sector manufacturing, region North West, ai_cited: no.
AGC Chemicals Europe has made fluoropolymers at Hillhouse since 1999, when it bought the site from ICI; fluoropolymer manufacturing there goes back further still, to the 1950s [1]. Companies House still shows the trace of that history in the company's own record: AGC Chemicals Europe, Ltd, company number 03825057, was incorporated in August 1999 under the name Asahi Glass Fluoropolymers UK Limited, only renamed in December 2006 [3]. The site makes Fluon-branded PTFE and ETFE, materials used across industries wherever heat resistance or chemical inertness matters.
What the company said, twice
On 13 July, AGC Chemicals Europe proposed closing the plant, citing "significant financial and operational challenges" and losses running four years [1]. A 45-day consultation with employee representatives followed. On 14 September, the company confirmed the closure in a short statement: "AGCCE has today announced the decision to cease manufacturing at its Hillhouse site in Thornton Cleveleys," concluding "there is no viable solution to keep the site operating in the context of a volatile and competitive market" [2]. The September statement thanked staff for "open, honest and constructive discussions" during consultation but did not restate a jobs figure; the 208 total comes from July's proposal and has not moved in any coverage since [4].
Which jobs figure this ledger logs
Two hundred and eight: 190 employees plus 18 agency staff, the breakdown given at proposal stage and repeated without change through to confirmation [1] [4]. Some coverage rounds this to "around 200"; this ledger logs the fuller company-sourced total rather than the round number, the same precedent set at Sunseeker Holiday Homes and Forteq UK. Not everyone leaves at once: some of the workforce departs at the end of December 2026 when production stops, with further redundancies through 2027 as the site is wound down and decommissioned [2].
How the ledger logs it
A loss of 208, graded ANNOUNCED, sector manufacturing, region North West. There is no Gazette notice here, and there will not be one: this is a going concern ceasing production on its own commercial decision, not an insolvency, so ANNOUNCED is the ceiling grade regardless of how firm the closure date is, the same rule applied to Forteq UK's Huddersfield closure. Nothing in either AGC statement mentions AI or automation; the stated cause throughout is four years of losses in what the company calls a volatile and competitive market. Enhanced redundancy packages and employment support have been offered to those affected [2].
What happens next in this ledger
AGC says it remains committed to its regulatory obligations at Hillhouse, including the staff needed for decommissioning and environmental permit compliance, which is why the job losses stretch into 2027 rather than landing all at once in December [2]. Watch for what happens to the Hillhouse Enterprise Zone site once production stops, and for any updated headcount if the phased 2027 redundancies land as a different number from the 208 logged here.
Sources
- PCI Magazine, "AGC Chemicals Europe Proposes U.K. Production Exit Affecting 208 Roles," 17 July 2026. https://www.pcimag.com/articles/114917-agc-chemicals-europe-proposes-uk-production-exit-affecting-208-roles
- AGC Chemicals Europe, "Announcement from AGC Chemicals Europe, Ltd: Closure of AGC Chemicals Europe Hillhouse manufacturing site confirmed," 14 September 2026. https://agcce.com/announcement-from-agc-chemicals-europe-ltd-closure-of-agc-chemicals-europe-hillhouse-manufacturing-site-confirmed/
- Companies House, "AGC CHEMICALS EUROPE, LTD." (company number 03825057). https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/03825057
- Lancashire Business View, "Jobs axe falls as chemical plant closure confirmed," 18 September 2026. https://www.lancashirebusinessview.co.uk/latest-news-and-features/jobs-axe-falls-as-chemical-plant-closure-confirmed