Jobs lost as water project ends

A construction company has announced it is cutting 150 jobs because a major 10 year water main renovation project in Devon and Cornwall is ending.

May Gurney, which employs more than 5,000 UK workers, said its contract with South West Water would come to a "natural conclusion" in September.

It said the job losses were not a result of the current recession.

The firm said it hoped to minimise compulsory redundancies and redeploy as many people as possible.

The redundancies are expected to be among the team of people still working on the project.

The prospect of job losses, especially at this time, is disappointing.

Tim Read, May Guerney

Tim Read, managing director of May Gurney's utility services sector, said: "Although we and the people working on the contract have always known that the project would end once the planned work was successfully completed, the prospect of job losses, especially at this time, is disappointing.

"Right now, our top priority is minimise job losses, taking natural wastage into account."

The firm said it hoped to redeploy as many jobs as possible.

The water main programme began in 1999, since then May Guerney has renovated over 2,500 km (1,550 miles) of Victorian water mains across Devon and Cornwall.

A formal company consultation with the workforce has now begun.

Redundancies are expected to start in March or April.