The company behind Belling cookers is set to cut almost a third of the workforce that makes domestic appliances at its site on Merseyside, as it struggles to adapt to changing consumer trends.

Glen Dimplex Home Appliances (GDHA) (www.glendimplex.com) has outlined plans to streamline its operations, resulting in up to 300 of its 1,000 permanent staff being made redundant.

The privately owned company, which makes cookers and fridges under the Stoves, New World, Lec and Britannia brands, will also stop operating in some market segments and will out-source parts of its manufacturing process. It said the cuts were “necessary to ensure a viable GDHA business in the future”.

Chief executive Andy Griffiths said: “It is with a heavy heart that we are announcing this significant change to our business.

“We are incredibly proud of our people and our long-standing history of manufacturing at this site, and we know how tough this news will be on our colleagues. Sadly, these proposals are necessary.”

GDHA said that its financial performance has been affected by consolidation among major UK retailers, and by the difficulties of competing on price against larger businesses benefitting from economies of scale.

The redundancies are subject to consultation with staff and unions; they are likely to begin in August.

GDHA is part of the Glen Dimplex group, which is the world’s largest manufacturer of electrical heating products (it also operates in the cooling, ventilation and renewable-energy sectors).