A TOP-LEVEL delegation will visit one of Pendle's biggest firms to find ways of cushioning the blow to 350 workers facing redundancy when it closes later this year.

The county council is stepping in to discuss with bosses at Lear Corporation, Colne, ways of re-training staff and finding them alternative work in a bid to minimise the impact of the closure.

A senior local councillor said workers had faced a "heartbreak Christmas" knowing they would lose their jobs in 1999.

Production is already being run down and the whoile plant is expected to be closed by October.

Now senior managers from Enterprise plc, which provides a jobs and business support package for the county council, will join County Councillor Frank McKenna at the meeting with senior management at the American-owned company on Tuesday.

Staff from Lancashire Welfare Rights Service will also attend.

"Lear is one of the largest employers in Pendle," said the county council's deputy leader, County Councillor McKenna. "The loss of so many jobs represents a major blow to the local economy and it is vital we act now to help the employees whose jobs are being phased out.

"We want to work with management at Lear and with other agencies to reduce the impact of the closure, both for the workers and for the town.

"It is heartening to note that some jobs are likely to be retained through the sale of part of Lear's operations in Colne to another company. This gives us a platform on which to build a package of measures to help the employees."

Pendle County Councillor Tim Ormrod said he was pleased to see action being taken.

"Through the combined resources of Lancashire County Council and Enterprise plc I hope that we can reduce the impact of the factory closure.

"It must have been heartbreaking for the employees over the Christmas break, facing such an uncertain future. Pendle is heavily dependent on manufacturing industry and the area cannot afford to lose jobs on this scale."

Coun Ormrod was cautiously optimistic that something would come out of the meeting but said he did not want to build people's hopes up too much until it had taken place.

Lear anounced in November that it was closing its plant in phases and moving production to the Midlands. The firm, which makes car interior upholstery, wanted to move production nearer its major customers who have plants in the Midlands.

Around 50 jobs are expected to be saved with the sale of part of the Lear site to another company.

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