The following is a list of questions that the Council has received recently from a range of sources regarding Molson Coors’ relocation of their head offices to the National Brewery Centre, resulting in the closure of the NBC.
Were the Council aware of Molson Coors’ plans to close the National Brewery Centre?
Representatives of the Council were informed by Molson Coors that they had agreed the closure of the NBC with Planning Solutions Limited (PSL) in the week prior to Molson Coors and PSL talking to their respective employees on Monday 12 September.
Molson Coors requested that the Council not share this information publicly due to its commercial sensitivity and to allow for the announcement to be shared with PSL and Molson Coors employees in the right way.
Were the Council aware of the closure when they agreed to purchase Molson Coors’ High Street offices?
No and we do not believe it was Molson Coors’ intention to relocate to the NBC at that time.
Why has the Council “welcomed” the closure of the NBC?
The Council has not welcomed the closure of the NBC, this is erroneous reporting.
The Leader of the Council has stated he is pleased that Molson Coors are staying in Burton town centre, given that they are the largest employer in the town, and there was a risk that they would leave the town altogether.
What will happen to the collection of artefacts at the NBC?
The Council has made an immediate commitment that the collection at the NBC will be kept within the town and that it will explore, with its Heritage Centre Working Group, the possible creation of a new museum in the Town House and Old Bass House (OBH) buildings. Molson Coors has also committed to preserve the collection until its new home can be established.
Will the collection fit in Old Bass House?
The available space in OBH and the Town House, where the existing proposed Heritage Centre would be located, is in excess of 5,000m2, which is larger than the NBC, which stands at a total of 2,514m2. As such, the facilities available to the new museum space are twice as big as the NBC.
There is also a significant amount of external public realm space for outdoor events, activities and items. There has been a suggestion that this facility would be ten times smaller than the NBC, which is untrue.
Will the Council still buy the High Street offices?
Molson Coors’ relocation is not dependent on the Council buying the High Street offices and so the Council’s intention to regenerate that important part of the town centre remains. As a result of this move by Molson Coors, the Council will now look at creating a larger museum to accommodate the collection from the NBC and look at establishing a new, modern museum in consultation with local historians on the Heritage Centre Working Group.
We’ve been told on Social Media that the Council Chief Executive was meeting with Molson Coors daily two years ago, is this true?
No, this is completely untrue.
Has the Council been in communication with the National Brewery Heritage Trust?
The Council met with the NBHT at their request in May 2022 to discuss if and how it could accommodate some of the excess archives that the NBHT were struggling to store at the NBC. The Council agreed to the principle of accommodating the surplus archives.
The Council then reached out to NBHT following the news about the closure of the NBC and offered to support the Trust and to accommodate all of the items from the NBC in the Old Bass House while plans for a new museum are being formed, hopefully in partnership with the NBHT.
Why isn’t the Council buying the NBC instead of the High Street offices?
The NBC is owned by Molson Coors and they have taken the decision to relocate their headquarters to this property. It is not available for sale to the Council. Instead, the Council intends to purchase the High Street offices and create a new, modern museum on Burton High Street.
As residents know, the Council has been interested in the regeneration of the High Street for a long time due to its proximity to the Washlands and the river, looking at how these can be better integrated into the town centre.
Why is the Council spending £8m on a skate park instead of supporting the NBC?
The Council is not spending £8m on a skate park, this is also untrue. It is not for the Council to comment on the financial situation of the NBC, this is a commercial decision taken by Molson Coors.
Are the Town Deal Board involved at all?
No, the Town Deal Board are not involved in Molson Coors’ commercial decision to relocate their head office.