BOSSES at a Bolton engineering firm which has just announced five redundancies have warned that the future of the company lies with Bolton Council.

B&F Carter and Co, which manufactures gear and cable making machinery at premises in Waterloo Street, is axing four office jobs and one shop floor post from its 47-strong workforce.

Management say they have been forced to make the redundancies because of customers cutting back and a general downturn in the industry.

But they say the situation is "not being helped" by their current inability to move out of their existing premises and find a new base.

The Albion Works site, which they have occupied for nearly 60 years, was sold at the end of last year to a developer who plans to use the land for a new B&Q DIY store.

The planning application for retail use of the land has been submitted to Bolton Council, whose planning committee is due to make a decision on the scheme within the next few weeks.

But David Cresswell, financial director of B&F Carter, says a decision to allow the planning permission is crucial to the future of the company.

For several years the company has been trying to move out of its current premises and the uncertainty has meant it has not been able to invest in new equipment.

And until the developers announce they want to start work on the site Mr Cresswell says they cannot look for new premises because they cannot give landlords a firm date for moving in.

Once a move goes ahead, Mr Cresswell explained, new investment can be made to help secure the remaining jobs at the firm.

"We are very, very nervous about the forthcoming planning meeting," said Mr Cresswell.

"Our jobs are in their hands really."

A spokesman for Bolton Council said no decision has yet been taken by officials on whether to recommend planning permission should be granted as they are still awaiting the completion of a retail impact report.

The application is due to be considered by councillors in late March or early April. However, only in last night's BEN, an official of the company which developed the Boltongate retail site said another 200 jobs would be created when a new B&Q store was built on the site.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.