Sugar refining was never plain sailing and most refineries had their problems, but this one in Newcastle-under-Lyme appears to have had a running battle with the local Council throughout its years of operation and I think it fair to say that its closure had little to do with the finances of refining but much to do with public health and local politics.
In 1864, an old hat factory, with dwelling house, in London Road was bought by James Robey and it became the Victoria Sugar Refinery operating as Robey & Co.
The following year, the 'environmental' problems began ... firstly the smell from the re-burning of charcoal, though this was said to have been solved at much cost. In 1867, complaints regarding the smell were rife again and added to this was the Council's decision to remove all smoke nuisance from the town - offenders would be prosecuted (they were in Liverpool, often). One councillor remarked that "the united smoke from all the chimneys in Newcastle was nothing compared to that from the refinery". Later the same year, the sewer in that area of the town burst and the refinery was blamed and again notices were served, though Robey did nothing. In both 1868 and 1869 the stench from the refinery was declared worse than the smoke nuisance. Also in 1869 there was a water shortage in the town and Robey's solution for the refinery was to sink its own well but the expensive project failed.
In 1870, Robey had had enough and sold the lease for the site including the dwelling house to Leonard Abington who continued to trade as Robey & Co Ltd, and for the next four years the refinery was trouble-free.

The 1871 census shows Abington as employing 35 men and women, some of whom are listed ...

In 1872 William Bostock, a Liverpool refiner, became a partner in the refinery and it began trading as Bostock & Abington and probably produced brewer's sugar.
However, the problems with the Council began again. Smoke in 1874, foul and offensive water onto the local meadow in 1875 ... and then later in 1875 the site was inspected by the Local Board of Health, which produced a damning report mentioning heaps of refuse, cisterns of foul water, sewage oozing into the yard, and that same ink black stinking water running into the canal. The Inspector remarked that "a nastier place could hardly be found". The allegations were refuted and eventually the site was brought back into some sort of order, though in 1876 sewage and foul water was again reported flowing into nearby ditches and into the canal. The following year the complaints had stopped.
In 1880, Abington moved to 5 London Road and a manager, James T Armstrong, moved into the refinery dwelling house. Armstrong was a Liverpool chemist and he began to expand the refinery.

The 1881 census lists some of the 70+ employees ...

In 1882, the firm provided the workforce with a supper at the Borough Arms Hotel. The firm was expanding, was prosperous and in a "present satisfactory and cheering condition", and, providing the Council was reasonable in its demands, would grow and be helpful to the town. However an inspection a few days earlier had found problems yet again ... refuse in a field, stench from the charcoal plant and a still smoking chimney. Even with these things rectified the complaints continued during that year ... "a most extraordinary amount of noisome steam and vapour had been emitted from the refinery .... filling the whole of London Road in the early morning with a most sickly and offensive stench" and later "the road .... between 6 and 7 o'clock was filled with dense steam coming from the works - the stench from which was insufferable". Money was spent but things did not appear to get any better and when in 1883 the refinery was issued with a summons regarding the polluting of a nearby brook, Abington had had enough and moved to Bristol.
In early 1885, much to the pleasure of certain councillors, Bostock closed the refinery having failed to get assurances from the Council regarding the construction of a much needed railway link to the site. He moved the whole concern to Garston in Liverpool. Just how many men moved to Liverpool with Bostock is not known, but we do know that Lutge Gerken junior did continue and that by the time of the fatal explosion at Garston in 1894 he was an under manager and had served the two refineries for 28 years. Lutge Gerken senior had become a publican in Newcastle in 1881 but appears to have left the town for Garston where he died in 1887. William Bostock died in 1895 and the company wound up in 1901.