Sainsbury's plans Coventry depot closure

[dutchman]

A supermarket chain intends to merge two of its national distribution centres, putting hundreds of jobs at risk in the West Midlands.

Sainsbury's plans to expand operations at its clothing depot in Bedford and close a similar site in Coventry.

DHL, which runs both centres, said up to 550 jobs are vulnerable if next year's proposed closure goes ahead.

The supermarket has also proposed to move its Coventry-based support centre to another location in the city.

A spokesperson for DHL said its Bedford depot was "capable of accommodating the significant increase in clothing volumes forecast" by Sainsbury's, although it is not clear how many, if any, new jobs will be created there.

'£1bn plan'

The spokesperson said: "Affected staff have been advised of the situation and will shortly enter into consultation with the company and elected representatives.

"Wherever possible, DHL will work with those affected to identify opportunities elsewhere within its business."

Roger Burnley, from the supermarket chain, said plans to move its support centre in the Walsgrave area of Coventry to nearby Ansty Park were to help "grow its non-food business to £1bn", with all 530 staff expected to move to the new premises.

Mr Burnley said: "Since we opened our store support centre at Walsgrave Triangle, both the general merchandise and clothing teams have expanded considerably.

"The relocation to Ansty Park, a mere mile away from our current site, provides us with bigger, brighter, and more modern premises."