Fresh hope as experts called in to save Wolverhampton's Goodyear factory

Independent assessors will examine the American giant's business case for shutting the site off Stafford Road, with 330 jobs to go by 2017.

The first redundancies are expected from October.

Union bosses today said they were 'optimistic' that the assessment would show the site is 'productive and profitable' and would be enough to prove the case for keeping the 88-year-old plant open.

Gerard Coyne, from the Unite union said Goodyear bosses had put up £10,000 towards their proposed review.

"We will commission an independent in this field that can compare other European sites of Goodyear and Wolverhampton to show that it is productive and profitable," he said.

Union representatives will meet with Goodyear bosses next Thursday to discuss the review.

James Bailey, Goodyear spokesman, said it would co-operate with the unions and their business advisers but warned it had already looked at alternatives.

"We will look at any new option that they propose," he said.

"We looked at making further changes to become more efficient but in our business modelling we came to the conclusion that none of those options was sustainable."

Mr Bailey added Goodyear was not limiting the consultation discussions to the usual 90 days, saying the timescale for talks was indefinite and was subject to agreement with the union representatives.

Meanwhile, Wolverhampton North East MP Emma Reynolds has called on Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne to honour their commitments to help. She said: "I would urge the government to provide a contribution towards the review so that Goodyear's business case can be independently scrutinised."

"I am calling on the Chancellor and the Prime Minister to honour their commitment to consider any solutions that would keep the factory open by contributing to this review."