The Edinburgh-based publisher has proposed closing the department, which handles pre-press for dozens of titles published by Wilfred Edmunds and North Notts Newspapers, and moving its functions to offices in Sheffield.

In a statement, Johnston Press said: “Should the proposal proceed, up to 35 jobs will be at risk of redundancy. The firm will seek to minimise the impact on staff through redeployment to an enlarged pre-press arm in Sheffield and through voluntary redundancies.”

Staff at Chesterfield have been told that 26 jobs will be available at the Sheffield office, which would boost the size of that pre-press department to around 50 staff.

Johnston chief executive Tim Bowdler said: “Sheffield has a well-established pre-press department and is a major centre for us, so it is a logical choice.”

The move towards more centralised pre-press is not a first for the publisher. Bowdler said: “This has happened elsewhere. We don’t have pre-press departments at Milton Keynes or Ayles­bury anymore.”

However, Bowdler stressed that he did not expect further reshuffles in the immediate future. “The changes have largely been done, but one can never say that there won’t be others. There’s always a need to look at the business in terms of the way it’s organised and conducted,” he said.

Johnston Press is currently in consultation with the affected staff and union representatives.

The planned closure is expected to complete by 1 October.