Huhne Says Closure is a Sad End and Appalling TIming for Loyal Workers

10.31.39am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 17th Dec 2004

Huhne Says Closure is a Sad End and Appalling TIming for Loyal Workers

Hampshire MEP Chris Huhne said that the announcement that the Alstom depot in Eastleigh was to close by the end of 2005 was "a sad end for the century-old railway tradition of Eastleigh and appalling timing for the loyal workers and their families just before Christmas".

Mr Huhne said that his first thought was for the uncertainty faced by Alstom workers and their families over the holiday and that it was bitterly regrettable that the engineering skills of so many key workers were now at risk of being lost.

However, Mr Huhne said that he was optimistic that everyone who would lose their job when Alstom's Eastleigh depot finally closes by the end of 2005 would find alternative work as had happened after the closure of other key plants in Eastleigh in the cable and printing industries.

"This is going to be a big challenge particularly because of the impending closure of Manor Bakeries as well, but Eastleigh will rise to it as the town has done before. The borough has an award-winning track record for attracting employment to the area through initiatives such as the Wessex business centre to foster new businesses" said Mr Huhne.

Mr Huhne said that he would press the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) to look at funding for the Chickenhall Lane link road which would open up new sites that would be attractive to employers.

Ends