Anger as printing firm site is sold to museums trust

THE impending closure of a York subsidiary company of Leeds commercial printer Technoprint has been blamed on a lack of public sector support for British manufacturing.
By The Newsroom
Published 13th Dec 2010, 11:15 BST
Updated 13th Dec 2010, 11:16 BST

Around 15 employees are set to lose their jobs at Barringtons of York and two apprentices will no longer be taken on after the company's site was sold to York Museum Trust (YMT).

The sale was backed by a 525,000 finance deal with York City Council and Technoprint said it was being forced to close the firm, which has until the end of December to move.

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The company could not find another suitable property in York after YMT, which owns an identical building next door used for the storage of artefacts, trumped its own bid.

Managing director Mark Snee said: "The council doesn't deserve to have manufacturing and it is no surprise that most of it has gone.

"It rather beggars belief that a local authority should kick a manufacturing business 'down the road' just so it can store museum artefacts that it has nowhere to exhibit.

"The Government has said that manufacturing is going to get us out of the economic mess we are in – storing artefacts won't. York Council is moving in the opposite direction to the government."

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The sale of the site also brings into question the future of the former commercial print arm of Sessions of York – bought by Technoprint earlier this year.

The firm claimed it had intended to merge the four-staff business with Barringtons as the Sessions premises had also been sold to be replaced by a housing development.

But YMT said the second building will free up space at York Art Gallery and York Castle Museum, which is being used for storage.

A YMT spokesman added: "This purchase was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire a store where, crucially, development is possible to sustain our storage needs for the next 20 years.

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"We are not aware of the circumstances of the existing tenant, nor of their relationship with the vendor and therefore we cannot comment on their business."

A York Council spokeswoman said: "The premises have been offered on the open market by a reputable local agent and it is open to any other party to submit a bid to the agent if they so wish."

Related topics:YorkLeedsGovernment