Should we be thankful?

News that 250 more jobs may go at AZ in Macclesfield is certainly disheartening.

But the story behind this is even worse. For every job lost at AZ, we will probably end up losing another job in Macc. It might be a hairdresser, a publican or a shopkeeper - but a lot of jobs in Macclesfield are supporting AZ workers, which makes the impact of these jobs losses even worse.

However I almost feel slightly thankful that the site is not being closed - as AZ have announced closures of 3 plants in Europe. Closure of our sites would take us decades to recover from.

This is one reason why we need to look at the development of Macclesfield, but with something other than a shopping centre. The shopping centre relies on a good economy, and for a lot of people to be employed locally by employers like AZ. We need a plan that works in all weather, not just when the sun is shining.