Lafarge Cement to slash 65 jobs

Lafarge Cement has announced it will slash its operations in Westbury, Wiltshire and axe 65 staff.

The firm will close one kiln and two cement mills, leaving the plant to operate on one kiln and two cement mills.

A spokesperson blamed tough market conditions and rising utilities prices for the closure, according to the BBC.

Lafarge Cement managing director Erdogan Pekenc told the broadcaster: “The wet cement-making process used at Westbury is more energy-intensive than the process used at our other UK plants.

“As a result, the drastic increase that we have seen in the price of energy accentuates Westbury’s delivered cost to customers even further.

“In order to scale back onsite operations, around half of its current team is expected to leave the site.”