Biscuit factory plan is approved

Staff marched on Valentine's Day to persuade councillors to save their jobs

Councillors have approved plans to extend the Fox's Biscuit factory in Staffordshire, where about 800 people are employed.

Fox's Biscuits wants to merge its plants in Uttoxeter and Batley, West Yorkshire.

It has proposed building a new factory on one of the sites by 2011.

Uttoxeter staff marched through town on Saturday in a bid to persuade East Staffordshire Borough Council to pass the plan to help them keep their jobs.

Northern Foods managers are expected to announce their final decision in March, following the planning decision.

'Knock-on effect'

The company said both factories were old and in need of investment.

The convenor for the Unite union, Lorna Andrews, said the whole community was relying on the factory to stay open.

She said: "You'd be putting the 800 employees out of a job but you'd also have the knock-on effect to other people within the community.

"(It) supplies us with raw materials, it supplies us with agency labour.

"It would also have a knock-on seriously to the housing value within the community, to the shopping area, which is already struggling as it is, to keep shops in the town."

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