The move to Norwich, where the company’s Norfolk and Suffolk newspapers are already produced, is designed to improve efficiency and reduce production costs, said Archant East MD, Miller Hogg.
“However, responsibility for all aspects of the content of the titles remains with newspaper editors and their news reporting teams who will continue to be locally based in existing offices,” said Miller. “Sports reporting and production staff will also remain locally and are not affected by this proposal.”
Editorial page production for London, Kent and Herts & Cambs publications is currently carried out in Ilford, Ashford, Stevenage, St Albans, Welwyn and Huntingdon.
If, after consultation, the proposal goes ahead there will be ten new roles created in Norwich and one in London. A total of 24 editorial production staff across the London, Kent and Herts & Cambs business units will be at risk of redundancy and a consultation will begin shortly with affected staff, says Archant.
Archant’s 25 weekly newspaper titles in London, Kent and Herts & Cambs include the Ham&High, Newham Recorder, Kent on Sunday, Welwyn & Hatfield Times and Hunts Post. Magazine and web production in those areas are not affected.
