The new Quinn Glass bottle plant at Elton near Chester, which faced closure because of an invalid pollution certificate, has been granted a reprieve by UK judges. The huge plant was built without the required planning permission & faced immediate closure, entailing the loss of up to 200 jobs, after a judge ruled in 2005 that a Pollution Prevention & Control Permit (PPC) had been unlawfully granted by Chester City Council. On 15 June 2006, Quinn lost its appeal against that ruling, but Lord Justice Buxton, sitting with Lord Justice Richards & Sir Christopher Staughton, ruled that the PPC permit, although invalid, would remain in place, at least until Chester City Council has a chance to decide whether to issue a new one. A decision is expected in September 2006 and means that doubts remain over the future of the plant as it cannot operate without the required permit. Quinn Glass's application for planning permission is also still under consideration after a public inquiry before a government inspector. However, the reprieve will come as a relief to Fermanagh-based Quinn Glass, which estimated that shutting the plant down would cost about GBP 2 million.
