MORE than a quarter of the workforce are to go at the Combined Linen Services laundry, in Newton Abbot.

It is understood that part of the Sunlight Service Group Ltd, the plant in Kingskerswell Road, employs nearly 200, and this week staff were told that 59 might have to leave. That would include 52 shop floor workers and another seven in transport and engineering.

Staff have been warned of the situation and the consultation period proceedings with the workers is now under way.

Some employees said an announcement had been made regarding redundancies but those who might have to go had not yet been informed.

They understood that some would be offered alternative positions in the Sunlight Group's plants elsewhere in the country.

No-one would comment at the Kingskerswell Road laundry on Wednesday and it was neither confirmed nor denied at the Sunlight Group's head office in Basingstoke.

The CLS, which became part of the Sunlight Group in 2006, was originally based in Newton Road, Torquay, before moving to Newton Abbot.

But its new laundry on the outskirts of Decoy – overlooked by Milber and Aller residents – has been called many derogatory names and has become known as The Blot on the Landscape.

The building received planning permission at Teignbridge Council in 2002, but only after the omission of a planning condition.

A residents' action group was formed, public meetings were called, and the Local Government Ombudsman was asked to investigate.

The district authority had already accepted the error, an internal investigation team recognising it was guilty of maladministration, and the ombudsman's recommendations included that £500 should be paid to the group without delay, and there should be additional planting for screening.

Residents had been expecting a brick finish but officers had approved silver and grey, which when finished stood out like a sore thumb and saw the building voted in the top ten of the worst architectural designs in the county.

After battling away and with backing from Cllr Gordon Hook, residents heard in September that £55,000 was to be spent on painting the building's walls a muted mushroom grey, and the roof and chimney matt olive green.

On Monday, Cllr Hook and group member Les Edgecumbe met management and received an update on phase two – the painting of the roof and chimney.

While the group's main concern was to adapt to the international recession and its constraints, an unequivocal assurance was given that the painting would start in the autumn subject to weather conditions.