A year after the announced closure of Pfizer in Sandwich, a new taskforce has been convened by Kent County Council after the Thamesteel plant, in Sheerness, went into administration.

The Task Force set up to mitigate Pfizer’s withdrawal from its Sandwich site has achieved a series of massive successes since news of the closure say KCC.

Headed by Kent County Council Leader, Paul Carter, the Pfizer Task Force has secured millions of pounds of investment funding, and developed the building blocks to grow business and offset 2,400 direct job losses at the site and thousands of support jobs across East Kent.

The new Taskforce, chaired by Kevin Lynes, the KCC Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development, which will be looking to assist Thamesteel workers, will meet for the first time tomorrow (Tuesday 7 February) at Kent County Council.

Kevin Lynes said: “Clearly this is terrible news and very difficult for the workers, their families and the local economy.

“Since the announcement was made by the administrators, we have been working together with Swale Borough Council in talking to Government and all the key agencies about the situation. This is why we have convened a Taskforce to look at the way forward and we have invited all relevant parties to the meeting, including the local MP, to receive an update on the situation.

“We will also discuss the next steps, including how we support the workers and work with the administrators to secure the future of the steelworks and the wider economy.”

© Hawkinge Gazette and Channel Coast News 2012