Remains of Royal Ordnance Factory

 military, ruins

Former Royal Ordnance Factory : Bishopton (closed)

The Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF) Bishopton was a UK Ministry of Supply, World War II, Explosive ROF. It is sited adjacent to the town of Bishopton, Renfrewshire, in Scotland.It was built, with the Ministry of Works acting as Agents, as three separate, almost self-contained, explosive factories within the same perimeter fence. They shared a common Administration Group and Workshop Support Services Group. The factory was built to manufacture propellant, Cordite in the main, for the British Army and the Royal Air Force. It did not produce propellant for the Royal Navy in World War II as the Admiralty demanded, and got, its own propellant factories. Over 2,000 acres (8 km²) of land from up to seven farms was used to build this factory. The land included Dargavel House, which still survives.

The three explosive factories opened between December 1940 and April 1941. Explosives manufacturing survived on parts of the site until about 2000; although ROF Bishopton was privatised in the early 1980s.The privatised ROFs become known in 1984 as Royal Ordnance PLC, then in 1987 as RO Defence; and now BAE Systems Global Combat Systems Munitions. The workforce fell from about 3,000 in the late 1970s to 2,000 at the time of privatisation in 1984. The workforce was about 1,000 in 1991 and was reduced to about 600 in 1993. There was a further reduction in 1996 to 450 employees as the business tried to reduce costs. It was announced in 1998 that the site would close after the loss of a major government contract for the supply of 155mm ammunition to the South African defence contractor, Denel. Manufacture on the site finally ceased in June 2002.

During the 1990s, significant investment was made to the site automating its Nitrogylycerine, Nitrocellulose and Nitroguanidine manufacturing plants which both improved manufacturing capabilities and process safety. Prior to its closure the site was producing gun and rocket propellant for use in numerous weapons systems. BAE Systems is the current owner of the former-ROF Bishopton site and uses part of it as an Environmental Test Facility (ETF). BAE Systems in conjunction with Redrow Homes, have submitted locally controversial proposals to use a large part of this site for building new housing. If accepted this could, at least, double the size of Bishopton.

Local residents have indicated their concern at the proposals by voting in a local referendum, held on the 4th of April 2005, organised by local action groups and council. The results showed that out of the 1485 who voted, 100 (6.7%) were for the development, 1361 (91.6%) were against it, 19 (1.3%) were not concerned and there were 5 (0.3%) spoiled votes. The major concerns they have are with the size of the expansion - with the associated knock-on effects to the local infrastructure - and fears of the high levels of contamination that are likely to be found on the site. Although there is little evidence of the extent of the contamination, there is significant anecdotal evidence of heavy pollution.

www.baesystems.com/WorldwideLocations/UnitedKingdom/Loc...
www.secretscotland.org.uk/index.php/Secrets/ROFBishopto...