Plans for a new vaccine manufacturing hub in Liverpool have scrapped.
The proposed £450 million expansion of AstraZeneca’s Speke plant was announced by the government last March under chancellor Jeremy Hunt.
Around 450 people are currently employed at the local facility, with fresh jobs set to be created by the pharmaceutical giant’s planned investment.
But AstraZeneca announced on Friday that it was no longer pursuing the option with a lack of current government support said to be a driving factor.
“Following discussions with the current government, we are no longer pursuing our planned investment at Speke,” said a spokesperson.
“Several factors have influenced this decision including the timing and reduction of the final offer compared to the previous government’s proposal.”
Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor for the Liverpool City Region, is hoping to resume talks with AstraZeneca in efforts to revive the shelved project.
He said: “Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has not been party to the negotiations between government and AstraZeneca, which have taken place over many months.
“However, we have worked tirelessly to develop a comprehensive package of recruitment and training support to help convince AstraZeneca that further investment was the right option.
“That work continues, and I’ll be working with the government and AstraZeneca – who have enjoyed a long and productive presence in the city region – to see if focused talks can take place.”