Published: May 26, 2007
Exclusive: Burnham-On-Sea job centre 'under threat of closure'

Burnham-On-Sea's job centre is under threat of closure - according to concerned bosses at Somerset County Council.

Burnham-On-Sea.com learns the Jobcentre Plus office in the High Street - along with a separate office in Chard - could be closed as part of a cost-cutting exercise.

Somerset County Council has already issued a statement formally opposing any such move.

Jill Shortland, Leader of Somerset County Council, said: "Somerset County Council is concerned at the proposals for closure of JCP outlets in Burnham and Chard."

"For Somerset, these two towns represent the fifth and sixth most populated towns in the county."

"Each has a considerable rural hinterland. Given this, they both act as major market town service centres for the county and the proposal to remove a physical Job Centre Plus presence in each undermines their future role and stands to disadvantage a significant amount of Somerset residents."

"Both Chard and Highbridge contain areas of social deprivation, including areas identified as priority areas for combating worklessness within the performance worklessness reward grant target of the Somerset Local Area Agreement."

"Closure of their local JCP offices would undermine efforts to address this important agenda."