Staff 'devastated' as 30 set to lose jobs due to Calor Gas closure of Telford site

Members of staff at the site said they were “devastated” by the news and hit out at the company saying they felt “dumped”.

The company said it was closing subsidiary Budget Gas Limited, which is based on the Halesfield business estate, next month after identifying what it called “opportunities to improve its operational efficiencies”.

It said customers will be served by its other sites.

Consultation is under way with staff members over the move to shut next month.

A worker, who did not want to be named, said: “The staff are devastated.

“People are disappointed because all 26 have been working through the pandemic in all sorts of conditions now this.

“The company is closing the site for financial reasons.

“They were informed on May 5 at meetings. They feel they have been dumped.

“A lot of them have been working there for many years. One man has been there for three decades. One or two of the office team have been offered jobs elsewhere.

“Apparently redundancy notices have been posted.”

Calor Gas sales and marketing director Paul Instrell said: “Following a strategic review of our operations we have identified opportunities to improve our operational efficiencies while maintaining high safety standards.

“This has resulted in a proposal to consolidate parts of our regional distribution network and subsidiary businesses.

"The proposal would result in the integration of Budget Gas Limited’s business into Calor Gas Limited and the closure of Budget Gas Limited’s site at Telford, with customers being supplied from other Calor distribution sites.

“We have informed the affected colleagues and, as we are now entering in to a consultation process with each of them, our primary concern at this time is to support those impacted by these proposed operational changes.”

Budget Gas has supplied customers in and across Telford, Shropshire, Wales and the Midlands region for more than 40 years.