STAFF are braced for job losses following confirmation that a long-established construction company is moving.

Ballast Construction is closing its offices at Hall Place, Harbledown, and Bromley, and centralising its operations at Crossways, Dartford.

Staff have been invited to apply for positions at the new headquarters but have been warned that some redundancies are inevitable.

The move will affect about 140 people in both offices. Some 70 staff work at Hall Place, a site earmarked by Canterbury City Council for a fourth park and ride location.

The move was blamed on "commercial" considerations.

It is part of a rationalisation of Ballast Construction's regional operations. The company will retain a presence at Parham House in Canterbury.

However, the move marks a turning-point in the firm's links with Canterbury.

Dutch-owned Ballast took over local builder Wiltshier in 1995. Wiltshier was founded in 1810.

Wiltshier operated from offices and workshops in Stour Street, Canterbury, for more than a century.

Ballast director Doug Barrat said it was inefficient to operate from two offices in the same area under the same management.

"We took a commercial decision that we are going to put it altogether," he said. "We've found some new offices in Dartford and we are decanting from Hall Place and Bromley and putting everyone together under one roof."

He said the move would happen over the next month or two. It was not linked to the park and ride proposal.

"Most of the staff will be going to Dartford but there will be some administrative staff who won't be able to manage the journey. I'm afraid that's an inevitable consequence when you do these sorts of things.

"But you have to run a business on the basis of what's the best for the majority of your staff and the business itself. We're obviously sensitive to that fact and we hope that as few people as possible will be affected. But it would not be accurate to say some people won't be."

He was unable to say how many people would lose their jobs until the company had completed a consultation exercise.