SHOE giant Clarks has said it would be prepared to help redundant workers who have "realistic" plans to develop manufacturing for niche markets.

A meeting of Cumbria's High Level Task Force heard of the offer as it met to discuss the planned closure of the firm's Springer factory later this year with the loss of 167 jobs.

Clarks financial director Robin Beacham told the meeting: "The first call on redundant equipment will be from other existing Clarks plants. However, if staff come forward with realistic proposals for small scale manufacturing that can utilise plant we will certainly consider what support we can offer."

The task force, which included representatives of Cumbria County Council, South Lakeland District Council, Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Collins and others, met with senior representatives of Clarks.

Members considered the issues that led the company to take such drastic action, the support available for those people who would be losing their jobs, and the future use of the site following closure.

The company said it would work with local councils and support agencies to ensure that the best possible package was offered to the outgoing workforce.

Clarks added that they were keen to work with local agencies to ensure the site was brought back into beneficial use as quickly as possible. They said the company had a good track record of ensuring that its former sites remained available for industrial and commercial uses, and said the Kendal site would be marketed for these uses locally and nationally.

Task force chairman county councillor Jack Richardson said: "The decision of the company to close the plant is regrettable. The Clarks company has had a long involvement in Kendal and it must now work with the town to ensure that its employees receive proper support to find new employment and to ensure that manufacturing continues at the Netherfield site."

Clarks bosses told the task force that as well as the development of shoe-making skills abroad, the styles of shoes produced at the Kendal plant had over time become less popular. The plant was working well below its capacity and the company's ability to maintain a manufacturing presence in the town had become unsustainable.

The firm's chiefs also told the task force that the warehousing and distribution operation was not affected by the announcement and that the future of the operation was secure for at least the next five years. The Clarks factory at Millom has been unaffected.

A further meeting of the task force and Clarks will take place to discuss progress.

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February 7, 2003 09:30