The 30-day consultation process that began last month was completed yesterday (2 May).

Wyndeham wanted to mothball some of the equipment at the site, in order to be able to flex its available capacity to match seasonal demand.

Chief operating officer Roy Kingston said the group had closed one Corona perfect binder, its 32-station UB binder, and a Tempo stitching line. It has also shuttered a 16pp Komori web and has changed the shift patterns on one of its Manroland Lithoman 64/72pp presses.  

“The business operates around customer demand, and these changes mean we have retained the skills needed if seasonality requires us to bring that equipment back into production,” he explained. “Under its two previous owners Bicester has never been competitive, and that’s not the way we run our business. The workforce understands that it’s in their interests to be sharper and better.”

Bicester runs 24/7 and prints for a host of publishing clients including Time Inc UK. The site now employs circa 222 staff.