Building company to close factory

Timber frame house manufacturer Kingspan has said it is closing its factory in Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent with the loss of 59 jobs.

The firm has blamed the slow down in the UK house building market for the closure and said it would be moving its production to three plants in England.

Workers affected by the closure will be offered the chance to redeploy to a different plant, said the firm.

Kingspan's plant in Holywell, Flintshire will not be affected.

Around a month ago 24 workers at the plant were told they would be made redundant and another 35 were given the news on Monday.

Kingspan, which is based in Ireland, has entered into a 30 day consultation process during which affected employees will have one to one meetings about their future.

The plant in Tredegar makes timber framed homes. Kingspan has manufacturing sites and sales offices all over Europe, north America and Australasia.

'Provide assistance'

Blaenau Gwent council leader Des Hillman said council officers and the assembly government were speaking with Kingspan representatives and had offered the firm help.

"Initially we hoped that - whilst the Tredegar operation was likely to downsize - the factory would still remain open," he said.

"Unfortunately, Kingspan has decided this will now not be the case."

He said the council, assembly government, Careers Wales and JobMatch would provide assistance and support to those affected.

"The council is also asking the Welsh Assembly Government to provide more assistance to support local companies in Blaenau Gwent to create jobs."

Dai Davies, who is the independent MP for Blaenau Gwent, said the closure announcement rang yet another death knell in the manufacturing base of Blaenau Gwent.

He said: "The One Wales document which is the Bible of the Labour/Plaid Cymru government in Cardiff Bay speaks of a vision of 'full employment based on quality jobs' in Wales.

"There is no chance of this vision being achieved while manufacturing continues to be decimated in valleys communities such as Blaenau Gwent."

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