Ballymena Ulster Unionist Councillor Stephen Nicholl has expressed his deep shock at the news of Michelin's proposed closure in Ballymena with the loss of 860 jobs.
Cllr Nicholl said:
"While this news comes as a shock, especially after the decision to close JTI and the job losses there, it is not really a surprise. The concerns of workers and management in relation to energy costs have been flagged up over a period of time. The need for new investment was also clear.
“There is a fundamental deficiency in our economic strategy which gives all the appearance of prioritising foreign direct investment over the development of existing firms and fails to address the core market issues affecting companies, such as energy costs and business rates. While the promise of corporation tax reductions in the future has the potential to help, they were not enough of a promised sweetener to keep JTI and Michelin in Ballymena.
“Finding new opportunities for those staff from both factories who will lose their jobs over the next few years is a priority. We must identify how we make Ballymena an economically viable centre for investment by identifying how to reduce energy costs and business rates."