Polestars troubled Greaves plant in Scarborough is set to be dealt a fresh blow with the loss of the contract for the Guardians flagship Saturday Weekend magazine supplement.

The title was redesigned last year in a move that also saw it switch from heatset to gravure.

The 650,000- to 1m-run weekly will move to Polestars Purnell site near Bristol, which installed a new Cerutti gravure press last summer and is equipped with a highly sophisticated bindery. The plants location will also offer major distribution benefits.

"We have been very well served by Greaves but had been looking at contingency issues anyway, as the normal course of operational business across all our product range for both the Guardian and the Observer," explained Guardian Newspapers production director Fiona Morris. "September 11 was symbolic in that respect. We were able to increase our print order dramatically because we print in the UK, and we want to remain in the UK."

Weekends format will be tweaked slightly to allow it to be produced across a wider number of Polestars gravure presses if required.

Polestar sector director Chris Pavlosky was meeting with the GPMU yesterday (3 January) to discuss cost-saving plans for the plant.

* An attempt by disaffected GPMU members at Polestar Chromoworks to remove union chapel officials has failed to come to fruition.

Deputy FOC Martin Quinn said: "It was rumoured but didnt materialise."

The GPMU is continuing consultation with Polestar over the closure of the plant.

Story by Jo Francis