Hundreds of North West jobs are under threat after Rolls-Royce announced it was to merge two Lancashire factories into one.
The aero-engine giant has two adjoining production units at its Barnoldswick fan blade site in East Lancashire where it employs 350 people - at Bankfield and Ghyll Brow.
But on Tuesday, a spokesman for the firm said it was to reduce its activities at the Bankfield site following a downturn in the aerospace market due to the Covid-19 pandemic, LancsLive reports.
Under the proposals, the site would no longer manufacture wide chord fan blades for Rolls-Royce’s newer Trent engines by Autumn 2023.
A technical support centre and new product development hub will remain at Bankfield, as well as manufacture of blades for older engine types.
The company is also exploring options to consolidate Ghyll Brow into Bankfield.
Their Static Compressor Assembly Modules plant located at Bankfield remains under review.
The firm said it was now consulting with trade unions and employee representatives and would do everything it could to avoid compulsory redundancies.
The company also announced on Tuesday it is to close its Nottinghamshire site.
A Rolls-Royce spokesperson said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has created a historic shock in civil aviation which will take several years to recover.
“Demand for our civil aerospace products and services has fallen significantly and we’ve had to take difficult, but necessary decisions to position ourselves for the future.
“Today we have told our employees in Barnoldswick that we are proposing to reduce our activities at Bankfield, which will no longer manufacture wide chord fan blades for our newer Trent engines, although a technical support centre and new product development hub will remain.
“We are also exploring options to consolidate work at Ghyll Brow into Bankfield.
“We are now consulting with trade unions and employee representatives.
“Today’s news will understandably be very worrying for everyone working in Barnoldswick, and our number one priority is to provide support to our employees and their families.”
