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*"It’s unfortunate. I believe it deeply affected the town," remarks Debbie, seated in a café in Bridgend, reflecting on the closure of the Ford engine plant in south Wales nearly five years ago. "Many people, both men and women, were employed there until the end."

Over four decades, workers at Bridgend Ford assembled 22 million engines for Ford, Volvo, and Jaguar vehicles before the facility ceased operations in September 2020 amid pandemic restrictions.

Debbie’s husband was among the 1,700 employees at the town’s largest employer, situated between Cardiff and Swansea, when the shutdown was announced in 2019. After nearly 30 years with the company, he accepted early retirement in his late 50s following his redundancy settlement.

At the time, several Ford employees hoped to transition their expertise to a proposed car factory by Ineos, a chemical firm planning to produce its Grenadier 4x4 vehicle nearby. However, the development was later abandoned by the company, led by billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who decided to manufacture the vehicle in France instead.

"Former Ford employees still meet up," Debbie notes, underscoring the enduring sense of camaraderie. Still, the closure dispersed the workforce to other employers, including Aston Martin’s nearby facility in St Athan, while some pursued retraining.

A New Chapter for the Site

Nearly five years later, the former Ford site remains vacant, but a new industry sees potential in it.

Vantage, a US-based data center operator, acquired the land in 2024 for a reported £27.5 million, marking the largest industrial deal in south Wales that year. Recently, the firm submitted a proposal to construct a major data center complex on the site, representing a multi-billion-pound investment.

In its application, Vantage emphasizes its commitment to "supporting Bridgend’s industrial growth," citing the planned cluster of 10 data centers as a "foundation for economic revitalization."

However, the full benefits may take time. If approved, construction is set to begin early next year and unfold in three phases, concluding by 2040.

Once operational, the facility is expected to create 600 permanent jobs, with an additional 350 positions in the supply chain. Vantage states its average salary exceeds £75,000—more than double the local average wage.

The company, supported by investors including DigitalBridge Group, Silver Lake, and Australian Super, already operates a data center 30 miles east in Newport and has approval for another in the Vale of Glamorgan. Vantage notes these sites would help establish a "key digital hub in Wales."

A spokesperson attributed the expansion to several factors, including land availability and skilled labor.