"We began consultations with our workforce this week to reduce costs in the light of rising energy costs, a deflationary market environment and other rising input costs linked to oil-based products," said managing director Bob Pitts.

According to reports in the Eastern Daily Press (EDP) up to 30 jobs could be lost. A spokesman for the firm declined to comment on the numbers but Pitts said in a statement "the consultations are at a very early stage and the outcome is by no means certain".

The EDP story also claimed that the recent loss of a "substantial contract" had led the firm to try to save around 1m a year through cuts to its 330 staff.

A decision on the firm's proposed 40m superplant will now be made in January. It emerged recently that it was considering an alternative site to its original choice of Wymondham. The other location, which is in Norfolk, "came up late in the day and may be a better option," according to the spokesman.

Pitts previously told PrintWeek that the announcement of Emap's print roster would have a profound effect on the start of the project.