The firm behind a £2.5million aerospace business park plan for Bickington has said it will take its jobs abroad if it can't get planning permission by Christmas. Hymec Industries produces components such as seats for Airbus and Boeing at its factories in Plymouth and Newton Abbot. It wants to create a specialist site where various aerospace companies can co-operate and take advantage of an expansion in the Airbus and other aviation projects. But two years of talking with Teignbridge Council has failed to find a suitable site and now Hymec has bought meadowland on the Newton Abbot side of the A38 Bickington junction. 'They either want quality jobs or they don't,' said Hymec's managing director, Richard Elliott. 'We're desperately trying to work with them to find a suitable site and have acquired this land on that basis, but we need planning permission by Christmas otherwise we'll lose the opportunity to take part in the A390 and A350 Airbus work.' He said the proposed scheme would be screened from Bickington village and could create 150 new jobs, not 250 as reported elsewhere, and secure others. 'There are lots of food manufacturers that come and go, but little else in the way of manufacturing,' said Mr Elliott. 'There is Centrax, but who knows how long they will survive, so if we can generate quality manufacturing jobs, others in the service industries will follow.' Asked what might happen if his plan fell through, he said: 'We'll go abroad. We have other irons in the fire.' Chairman of Bickington Parish Council, Cllr Bob Wakeling, said he couldn't comment on the proposal until more information was available. Michelle Kenney, for Teignbridge Council, said: 'We are committed to attracting new businesses and industry to the district with the aim of creating better, more varied job opportunities with all the ensuing benefits for the local economy. 'In addition, we have a responsibility to ensure all new business and industries are suited to their surrounding infrastructure and environment. 'In this case, we have received an informal proposal and we will be meeting with Hymec to discuss their ideas further.' Miss Kenney contradicted reports elsewhere that Teignbridge had offered Hymec the old Devon desserts site in Newton Abbot as it was not tthe council's to offer.
