'It's a dying town': Community hit hard by factory's loss

The loss of a factory employing 130 people has hit hard in a community where "everyone" knows someone who has worked there.

Dairy co-operative Arla intends to shut its creamery in Settle, North Yorkshire, by 2026 and transfer production to Lockerbie in Scotland.

Julian Smith, Conservative MP for Skipton and Ripon, said Arla bosses "didn't even look at" alternative proposals to keep the site open, which the company denied.

The BBC visited Settle to find out how Arla's departure will impact the town.

Peter Thornton, director of Settle Coal, which has premises next door to Arla, said the plant had "been here as long as some of the hills".

The 56-year-old said a dairy first opened on the site in 1965, and had always traded with his company.

"There'll be a lot of small local businesses that will miss Arla, ours particularly."

Anne Carr, who was serving lunch to workers from her mobile catering van on the industrial estate, ed when "all the employees were local people, local families worked there, it was owned by local people".

She said the closure would make a "big difference" to the area and likely impact her business, Anne's Butty Van, which is opposite the creamery.

"It's just the uncertainty of it: what is going to happen"Supplied Screenshot of a letter from Julian Smith MP to Mr Peder Tuborgh, CEO of Arla. It reads: Dear Mr Tuborgh I am writing to express my profound disappointment and frustration regarding Arla’s decision to close the creamery in Settle. I believe this decision ignores the extensive efforts made by various stakeholders to find viable alternatives. North Yorkshire Council has made significant progress in identifying alternative sites for Arla’s consideration. Additionally, the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith, has been actively engaged in discussions about securing funding for adult skills . These efforts were made in good faith to ensure that the Settle site could continue to operate and contribute to the local economy. It seems to me that these efforts have not been adequately considered. The GMB union have put forward genuine and collaborative alternative business cases, including a move to a greenfield location, product diversification, and shared production use of the Settle facility. Yet, Arla has chosen to ignore these proposals. Further, the lack of engagement from Arla in this process has been disappointing and demonstrates a disregard for the community and the workers who have dedicated themselves to Arla. I urge Arla to reconsider its decision and take a more positive and constructive approach as the process continues. Yours sincerely Rt Hon Sir Julian Smith KCB CBE MP" class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/>Supplied