Go Vauxhall dealerships in Stafford and Wednesbury close leaving dozens out of work
Two Vauxhall car dealerships have shut suddenly – leaving dozens of workers without jobs.
Go Vauxhall on Milford Road in Stafford, which is owned by GO Motor Retailing Limited, closed for the last time yesterday.
The dealership, close to Walton High School, sold new and used cars, parts, and offered servicing.
Councillor Frank Finlay, a cabinet member on Stafford Borough Council, who represents Milford, was disappointed at the news.
He said: “I am very sorry people have lost their jobs and I hope they find new ones soon convenient to their homes.
“The garage has been there for a long time under different ownerships.
“I think it has had some difficulties in recent times in terms of accommodating cars on site after they lost their parking facility across the road.
“But whatever the reason, it’s always hard to hear about job losses.”
Another of the firm’s Go Vauxhall dealerships, in Wednesbury’s Bridge Street, has also shut its doors.
It is understood there are 60 members of staff, who are now without work following the closures, across the two sites.
It is not known how many job losses there are at the individual dealerships.
Customers – some who claim they were not informed about the closures – are being urged to call customer care for help.
One Stafford customer who contacted the dealership yesterday was told staff were just ‘packing up’ to close.
A worker said: “It’s come out of the blue, but the parent group have changed direction and that’s that, I’m afraid.”
Stephen Read, aged 52, from Wednesbury, said: “Nobody had informed the customers who bought cars that they were closing.
“I phoned them up to change my service plan to somewhere else but now I’ve go to go to either Wolverhampton or Dudley when Wednesbury was right on door step. I bought the Vauxhall Corsa just over 12 months ago.”
A Vauxhall spokesman said: “GO Motor Retailing Limited, trading as GO Vauxhall, has today closed its retail sites in Stafford and Wednesbury.
“Vauxhall’s franchise partners elsewhere in the Midlands will be more than capable of meeting the needs of our customers in the area.
"For Stafford, the nearest are Brindley Cannock and Arnold Clark, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. For Wednesbury, the nearest sites are Evans Halshaw Wolverhampton and Dudley Motor Company."
Vauxhall customers can call 0800 026 0034, or email customercare@vauxhall.co.uk
