Nortel did not announce a final closure of its Paignton optical-components operation in June 2002. It was seeking a buyer for the division, which included the site; if no buyer emerged, the operation would be resized, and a company spokesperson did not rule out closure. The report put 1,000 jobs at risk. The former facility eventually closed in 2006, and the site later became known as Devonshire Park.
What Nortel announced in June 2002
On 11 June 2002, EDN reported that Nortel was looking to shed its optical-components division, putting 1,000 jobs at its Paignton facility at risk. The company was seeking a buyer for the division, which included Paignton. Nortel spokesperson Ben Roome said wafer-manufacturing and test equipment at the site was being offered for sale as part of continuing downsizing. The report said about 4,500 jobs had been cut from the site since the beginning of 2001.
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The distinction matters: the 1,000 figure described jobs at risk, not a confirmed redundancy total, and the report did not say Nortel had made a final decision to close the Paignton operation. Roome said the operation would be resized if no buyer could be found, and did not rule out closure.
Why the optical-components business was at risk
EDN’s account said Nortel chief executive Frank Dunn considered the optical-components market unprofitable. Nortel said it would focus on areas it expected to recover as markets improved, including optical switching, photonic transport systems and network management. The report also cited a restructuring-related charge of $200 million; that is the figure reported by EDN at the time, not an independently verified financial statement.
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- Item Package Dimension - 8.349999991483L x 8.3099999915238W x 4.7199999951856H inches
- Item Package Weight - 2.3589462034 Pounds
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- Product Type - LANDLINE PHONE
How the 2002 threat differed from the 2001 job cuts
The Paignton workforce had already been reduced substantially amid a wider downturn in telecommunications. In a House of Commons debate on 25 April 2001, Torbay MP Adrian Sanders said the site had employed up to 5,000 people and described its shift from electronics production to fibre-optic manufacturing. He cited 700 short-term contract workers no longer required in February and a further 700 redundancies announced in March. The minister described telecom job losses as part of a global downturn, particularly pronounced in the United States. These are statements made in Parliament, not an audited employment series. The Hansard transcript records the exchange.
| Report or account | What it said | Status of the figure |
|---|---|---|
| April 2001, House of Commons debate | 700 contract workers no longer required and a further 700 redundancies announced, according to Adrian Sanders | Statements in the debate; not an audited employment series |
| June 2002, EDN report | 1,000 jobs at risk in the threatened optical-components operation | Potential job loss, not a verified final redundancy count |
| June 2002, EDN report | About 4,500 jobs cut at the site since the beginning of 2001 | Figure reported by EDN |
A later Paignton Neighbourhood Plan retrospectively describes a 5,000-job loss in 2001 associated with a major closure. That is the plan’s account of the earlier event; it should not be conflated with EDN’s 2002 report of a further threat to the optical-components operation.
Rank #2
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- Business Communications Manager (BCM), Norstar Integrated Communications Systems
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- Call Services: Caller ID, Call Hold, Message Waiting Capability
What happened to the former Nortel site?
A Torbay Council planning report from 2017 identifies the former Nortel/Bookham site as Devonshire Park, west of Brixham Road and north of Long Road on the outskirts of Paignton. It says the former electronics facility closed in 2006. Most buildings had been demolished by the time of the report, leaving the site largely derelict. The council described it as a 9.76-hectare site with historic contamination, a flood-zone classification, and environmental and drainage considerations.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What was proposed for Devonshire Park?
Council planning material records permission for a mixed-use scheme, including up to 255 homes, business or warehouse space, bulky-goods retail, a garden centre, and a café or restaurant. A later application sought permission for a convenience-food unit, with the planning officer considering sequential and retail-impact tests. The 2017 report and subsequent material describe planning status and applications—not proof that every proposed use was built. See the related Torbay Council planning material.
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- Modular design: Allows the T7316E to be deployed anywhere as a feature-rich standalone solution; or, by adding the T24 Key Indicator Module, as a Central Answering Position for efficient call routing
- Integrated busy lamp field/Direct station select: Increases customer satisfaction while improving operator efficiency by utilizing multi-segment icons for accurate and efficient routing of customer inquiries
- Audio control center: Simplifies telephone operation by clustering common audio features for fast and precise toggle action between handset, headset, and speaker
- Built-in speaker: Improves communication by providing hands-free audio capability for multi-tasking and group participation
- This is a proprietary phone that is not compatible for home use and will only operate on a Nortel PBX system
Rank #3
- Modular design: Allows the T7316E to be deployed anywhere as a feature-rich standalone solution; or, by adding the T24 Key Indicator Module, as a Central Answering Position for efficient call routing
- Integrated busy lamp field/Direct station select: Increases customer satisfaction while improving operator efficiency by utilizing multi-segment icons for accurate and efficient routing of customer inquiries
- Audio control center: Simplifies telephone operation by clustering common audio features for fast and precise toggle action between handset, headset, and speaker
- Built-in speaker: Improves communication by providing hands-free audio capability for multi-tasking and group participation
- This is a proprietary phone that is not compatible for home use and will only operate on a Nortel PBX system
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