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Lotus bid for Government cash rejected

Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2011 12:17 pm
by j2 lot
Pistonheads story:
http://www.pistonheads.com/lotus/defaul ... ryId=23376

:?
Hope they are able to secure funding next time around or car production may go abroad :cry:

Re: Lotus bid for Government cash rejected

Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2011 12:22 pm
by CubanGav
"Lotus' original bid application was for a £27.5 million loan which would have been put to good use in research and development crucially allowing Group Lotus to release capital previously allocated to R&D to build the new production plant therefore creating approximately 1200 additional jobs."

Surely if they had said they would use the money to build the plant rather than R&D it would have had more weight?

Odd way of asking for the cash. It reads like 'we have the cash but dont want to use it - we want to use yours instead'

Re: Lotus bid for Government cash rejected

Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2011 1:23 pm
by foz01
Its due to R&D money falling under a significantly less onerous tax position iirc, thus askign if they coudl get the same position on other investments :P

Re: Lotus bid for Government cash rejected

Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2011 4:50 pm
by Edinburgh 111s
Maybe the UK Government seen through Lotus's/Proton's dodgy business plan, which many people from the industry seems to think will fail?

Who knows, but it would be a shame to see production move outside the uk :(