30 march 2007

Work to transform the historic Lion Salt Works has moved a step closer with Brunner Mond agreeing to fund £15,000 towards vital restoration costs.

The funding will be provided in instalments over the next three years. The first cheque – for £5,000 – was handed over by Brunner Mond engineer and Trustee of the Salt Works Board Peter Houghton.

In March 2006 the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) awarded a grant of almost £5m towards a major restoration project at Lion Salt Works. However as the grant covers 70 per cent of the restoration’s planned costs the Trust is tasked with finding an additional £1.25m by this summer to enable work to start.

Peter Houghton of Brunner Mond, said: “As a long-time supporter of this unique and important monument, which is a proud part of Cheshire’s industrial history, the company is delighted to contribute to its restoration.”

Andrew Fielding, Project Director for Lion Salt Works, said: “Our team has worked very hard to create a viable plan to restore these vulnerable buildings so that the history of the place is preserved for future generations.

“We urgently need to secure the match funding to be able to gain a Stage Two approval from the Heritage Lottery Fund and start to address the repairs and rebuilding. The generous financial assistance from Brunner Mond moves us a step closer to being able to begin this work – but we would still welcome further donations from other individuals or organisations as the deadline for us to raise the outstanding cash is looming.”

Established in 1894, Lion Salt Works is the last remaining open pan salt works in the UK and one of only three surviving in Europe. The site, which is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument, offers a rare insight into the process of salt production dating back more than 1,000 years.

It ceased operating commercially in 1986 following the collapse of the West African salt market and was bought by Vale Royal Borough Council to prevent its demolition. It has been maintained by the Lion Salt Works Trust and volunteers ever since.

In 2004 it was featured on BBC television’s ‘Restoration’ series in which viewers vote to help save Britain’s most endangered buildings.

For further information contact Mark Chitty at Brunner Mond on 01610 724000 or Linda Isted/Alison Hardy at Staniforth\ on 0161 919 8495

Editor’s Notes:

Martin Keighley was MD (Europe) at Brunner Mond for two and a half years. He has decided to take an extended career break to pursue other interests with his family.

Brunner Mond is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and suppliers of soda ash and associated alkaline products. The company has manufacturing plants in Northwich, Cheshire, where it has its headquarters; in Delfzijl, The Netherlands and at Lake Magadi in Kenya. The Company also operates a transportation terminal at Durban, South Africa. The Company is wholly owned by Tata Chemicals Limited, part of the Tata Group of India.

Brunner Mond’s principal product is soda ash, of which it is one of Europe’s largest producers, and the UK’s sole manufacturer. The combined Brunner Mond/Tata Chemicals Group is the third largest producer of soda ash in the world.

Brunner Mond is also one of the world’s leading producers of refined sodium bicarbonate and Europe’s second largest producer of calcium chloride liquor.