Independent closes Belfast print facility

Independent News and Media is closing its printing operation in Belfast, with the loss of 89 jobs.

It is also closing its office on Royal Avenue, Belfast, and will relocate in the city.

INM said it remains committed to its publishing business in Northern Ireland but the continuing decline in print volumes, together with the ending of a key contract with a UK publisher in Belfast, combined to make the printing plant unviable.

The Belfast operation prints Irish editions of several national newspapers and many of its own titles, INM said in a statement.

Discussions will take place with other publishers about alternative arrangements. The Belfast plant is to close in June 2016 at the latest.

It “reflects the wider global trend in declining newspaper circulations and the rise of news consumption via digital channels. [INM] remains committed to . . . multiplatform news delivery in Northern Ireland,” said INM.