Council discuss KPL job losses and wider impact

At the time of going to press on Tuesday evening, councillors in Limavady were gearing up for hard-hitting talks ahead of a monthly council meeting scheduled to take place on Tuesday, March 4, 2014, following the crushing blow to the local economy when local firm KPL Contracts went into administration.

Sinn Féin councillor Sean McGlinchey had submitted a motion calling for Limavady Borough Council to “discuss job losses at KPL and the wider implications for the Northwest.”

Over 200 people were made redundant after KPL Contracts went into administration towards the end of last month, prompting calls from Mr McGlinchey for a ‘special economic task force’ to be set up for the area.

The Limavady Borough and indeed the wider North West has been left reeling from a series of ‘major blows’ in recent times.

The Roe Valley Chamber of Commerce were amongst those to criticise the lack of funds being put into Limavady and East Londonderry by Invest NI, revealed in the Sentinel just weeks ago to be amongst the lowest anywhere in Northern Ireland, and to call for a ‘business rescue package’.

A spokesperson said: “The loss of KPL along with others in the Borough over the past few months necessitate the intervention of the Stormont Executive to bring in a business rescue package to what is becoming a` catastrophe of closures` in the building and building services sector throughout the Borough.”

Sinn Féin MLA Cathal Ó hOisín described the job losses at KPL Contracts in Dungiven as “more than a devastating blow” during a recent debate at Stormont.