Forbes.com reported that French glass and engineering group Compagnie de Saint-Gobain said it plans to shut its iron pipe manufacturing operation in the UK in April 2007 with the possible loss of 220 jobs.
It added that the closure is due to a steady decline in the size of the UK water pipe market since the mid-1990s.
In a statement it said: 'Together with major increases in the cost of steel scrap (a raw material) and high energy costs, this has had a significant impact on the profitability of production.'
It added: 'We have considered a wide range of options, but the plant at Ilkeston is highly specialised and not suitable for making other products.
It said its intention is to transfer iron pipe production from its factory at Ilkeston, Derbyshire, to its European pipe division's sites in France and Germany.
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