Essex County Council has today pledged its support to the Thurrock Council taskforce being set up following the announcement of the possible closure of the Coryton Oil Refinery.

The site’s administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers announced yesterday (Monday) they had been unable to find a buyer for the refinery and were seeking to start negotiations with unions and employers over its closure. This would mean the loss of up to 500 jobs at the refinery and impact on other companies providing services to the site.

County Councillor Kevin Bentley, cabinet member for Economic Development, said: “This is devastating news for everyone working at and connected with the refinery. It is a massive blow to the whole area.

“We have worked closely with Thurrock Council ever since it emerged the refinery was under threat and we remain committed to working with them in the taskforce they are forming to coordinate support and next steps.

“Providing all the help, support and advice needed to those affected is not something that one organisation can provide – it needs to be a partnership approach. This is why we will be continuing to offer our full support to Thurrock Council and others in helping do everything we can to help the workers and ease the impact of any closure of the refinery.”