AstraZeneca commits £100m to Macclesfield plant
An expansion of the pharmaceutical company’s facility in Cheshire is in the works, part of a £300m investment push in the UK.
Macclesfield is home to AstraZeneca’s second largest manufacturing site. An increase in its footprint would support the company’s ongoing oncology research, Place North West understands. Designs have yet to be drawn up for the expansion.
AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot described the company’s plans for Macclesfield as including “a lab of the future that will use digital and data tools to advance drug development”.
The £100m investment into Macclesfield also includes upgrades to the existing complex.
Most of the £300m announced for the UK today will go to AstraZeneca’s work in Cambridge, completing the construction of its Rosalind Franklin building.
The decision to invest in the UK shows a change of heart for AstraZeneca, which last year had pulled out of plans for a £450m vaccine manufacturing facility in Speke and had paused work on its Cambridge headquarters.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced AstraZeneca’s £300m investment in the UK during Prime Ministers Questions today, noting that it was made possible thanks to the recent trade deal with the United States, which will see the NHS pay 25% more for new medicines.
He stated that the arrangement would “future-proof thousands of jobs in Macclesfield and in Cambridge”.
“That is a major vote of confidence in the UK and Labour’s plans to strengthen our economy,” he concluded.
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Is Steve Rotheram still talking to them or just another one of his failed endeavours?
By Liverpolitis
Hang on. Wasn’t AstraZeneca suppose to be developed in Liverpool? Or am I confused?
By Anonymous
As the article mentions, there had been plans for a £450m facility in Speke, but they were shelved.
By Julia Hatmaker
It is notable that no-one from Cheshire East Council or the shadow Combined Authority is quoted in this article. So it is plausible to argue that they had nothing to do with securing this very important investment into the North West.
By Anonymous
Is there any update on the Speke complex. As Speke is not part of this latest investment I am now concerned for its long term future. Hope I am wrong.
By David
Great news but not for Liverpool where planned investment in Speke was shelved. What is the point of our Metro Mayor?
By Anonymous
Another kick in the teeth for Liverpool
By Anonymous
Steve Rotheram said he “Wasn’t involved” in negotiations with AZ. How can the mayor not be involved in 100s of millions of pound of investment into their region he is hopeless even by Liverpool standards
By Phil Gerrard
Mayor Rotherham can be found asleep on the job…
By Anonymous
Has PNW reached out to Steve Rotheram for an interview? He is located in Andy Burnhams pocket if you can’t find him
By Trevor Lewington
#Wake up sleepy Steve..#
By Day Dream believer
What has Starmer done for Liverpool really, except throw £50m to Peel to try and kick-start their Liverpool Waters project. No one wants sympathy but given that the Tories initially announced the initial £450m investment in Speke, only for Labour to botch it, Starmer should apologise. Who needs the Tories to manage Liverpool’s decline when Labour can do it on their own doorstep, hope this is remembered at the Labour conference this Autumn in Liverpool.
As for Mayor Steve, no wonder he keeps a low profile given his ever growing list of failures, just put AstraZeneca behind the Littlewoods Film Studio, Baltic train station, and the like.
By Anonymous
All these people talking about Speke but why would AZ invest there when they have an existing facility in Macclesfield that can be easily expanded and has direct fast train links to Manchester and London. No brainer really.
By Anonymous
Great news for Macc and Cambridge, not so good for the country. In 2024/25, the NHS reportedly spent £2.2 billion on vaccines. Therefore, a 25% increase to please the tango toddler (and his big Pharma mates) will cost £550 million a year. Therefore, even after this £300 million investment from AZ, we’ll be £250 million a year down in year one! Not really something for Starmer to celebrate based on those figures.
By Anonymous
Steve Rotheram could walk through Liverpool city centre and no one would have a clue who he was. He is a complete non entity at a time when Liverpool desperately needed a dynamic leader with ambition and we got Burnhams bag carrier.
By Tommy
@Anon 3.06pm, don’t know if you’re aware but AstraZeneca were willing to extend their presence in Speke. Meanwhile for your information the nearby Liverpool South Parkway station also has direct trains to London and Liverpool too.
This is a profound insult to Liverpool and a betrayal by national Labour, once again favouring Greater Manchester.
By Anonymous
@Anon 10:36
The location of the investment has got nothing to do with Labour. AstraZeneca is a private company and they make decisions based on the best return on their investment. What Labour has achieved seemingly is to improve the climate for investment into drug development, possibly by tweaking how the NHS pays for drugs. This after AZ cancelled their last set of investment plans, we now have a grown up government thankfully, doing the hard yards without fanfare,
By Anonymous
Not feeling much love for Steve in these comments! People seeing through his spin to poor delivery record, but I fear we’re stuck with him for quite a while longer.
By Anonymous
Anonymous 10.36 pm neither Cambridge or Macclesfield are in Greater Manchester so not sure what point you are making.
By Anonymous