COMMUNITY leaders in Llandybie have spoken of their disappointment after Corus bosses threw out a rescue plan to save the plant from closure.

Workers at the site had joined forces with union representatives, Adam Price MP and Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM to save the 73 jobs at the doomed plant.

Their rescue plan aimed to keep the plant open for around 18 months to two years in order to create a workable long-term strategy.

But senior managers threw the proposals out last Wednesday, leaving workers facing a frantic few weeks before the 90-day consultation period finishes at the end of the month.

Mr Price and Mr Thomas said the alternative proposals had a great deal of merit and would have helped not only save jobs on the line at the moment but would also have potentially led to an increase in employment in the area. Mr Price said: “I am extremely disappointed that the company have chosen not to pursue the proposals put forward by staff at Llandybie. “Having listened to the plans at a recent meeting with the staff it was clear that the ideas were well researched and offered a very real alternative to cutting jobs. “It is a major blow to the staff that have worked so hard come up with this proposal and also the whole community and county which are again seeing skilled workers lose their jobs,” he added.

Mr Thomas said: “This is very sad news. “We will of course still pursue any avenue open to keeping work at the site and will be contacting the Corus management to express our disappointment at what we feel is a missed opportunity.”

A spokesman for Corus said the company will continue to consult with unions in an attempt to agree a closure plan.