NEW enterprise zones around Lancashire’s stricken BAE Systems sites have been promised in a bid to safeguard thousands of skilled jobs.

Chancellor George Osborne has pledged to create the employment hubs around Samlesbury and Warton, and BAE’s site in Brough, East Yorkshire, in the wake of plans by the defence giant to slash 3,000 jobs.

Around 565 positions will be lost at Samlesbury and 843 at Warton but that figure could be quadrupled, when the impact on suppliers is taken into account.

Dennis Mendoros, chairman of Regenerate Pennine Lancashire, and managing director of Kelbrook aerospace firm Euravia, said: “If this is the case then we are absolutely thrilled with the Government’s decision.

“It is my belief that this will make a very positive impact on the economy of not only Lancashire but the North West, and secure the future of the high-tech industries in which so many people around here work.”

But the plan, unveiled by the Tories on the eve of their party conference in Manchester today, has received a cooler reception from union chiefs.

Phil Entwistle, Unison organiser at BAE, said: “If this is true then it will be a shred of comfort at the end of what has been a very bad week.

“But we will have to sit down and study the detail. If this is just a business park, which will benefit other firms, then how will it affect jobs at BAE?”

Mr Entwistle said campaigning to overturn the announced job losses would still continue at the Lancashire sites.

“Hopefully this will be a good thing for Samlesbury and Warton, and potentially be something for us to build on, but the devil will be in the detail,” he added.

Under an enterprise zone, new companies are encouraged to relocate to an area and benefit from large tax breaks.

Mr Osborne said: “We are going to work with the company to design that zone, in exactly the right location.”

It is expected that the zone would only become operational next April.

Plans for an enterprise zone for Samlesbury were rejected by the government in August before the BAE jobs announcement last week.