Around 30 jobs are under threat at a series of Trinity Mirror titles across North Wales and the North West as a result of a major shake-up in the company’s operations across the two regions.

Seven weekly papers are set to close along with nine satellite offices in a series of moves announced to staff on Friday.

The proposed changes include the closure of three separate North Wales titles, the Abergele Visitor, Rhyl and Prestatyn Visitor and Your Vale, which will be replaced with a new free title, the Denbighshire Visitor.

Also closing is the advertising-led title Flintshire BuySell which will be integrated into the BuySell advertising platform in the Chester and Flintshire Chronicle titles.

In Lancashire, the free Midweek Advertiser in Ormskirk is to close along with the Huyton & Roby Star.

The paid-for Formby Times will close and relaunch as a free title, although the Formby office itself will close with its staff relocating to Tulketh Street, Southport, along with staff from the Crosby and Ormskirk offices.

Other offices closing include the Wirral News Group office in Hamilton Street, Birkenhead, whose staff will relocate to new premises at Croft Business Park, in Bromborough.

The number of editions on the Wirral News Group will be reduced from six to four with the South Wirral News edition one of those closing.

Trinity Mirror North West and North Wales say the moves will result in some job losses and the consultation process began with affected staff on Friday.

The company’s North West regional managing director Sara Wilde said: “Taking the decision to make changes such as these is never easy, but I believe these changes will strengthen the power of our products in their marketplaces and meet both the needs of advertisers and readers in the face of challenging market conditions.”

The announcement came on the day it was also revealed that production of Liverpool’s Daily Post and Echo titles is to move to Oldham.

Around 100 Liverpool print workers face redundancy as a result of the proposals, which ends 154 years of printing in the city.

Comments

GD (11/09/2008 19:41:03)
10 pre-press staff also made redundant at Teesside. Jobs regionalised to Newcastle!