Sensitive Public Consultation Secures Permission for Pet Food Firm
Steven Abbott Associates LLP (SAA) has secured planning permission for the expansion of GA Pet Food Partners’ food factory in Bretherton, Chorley, West Lancashire. GA is Europe’s leading manufacturer of own label premium dry pet food with an annual turnover in excess of £50M and a 120-strong local workforce.
Working closely with the GA Pet Food Partners’ management team and Chorley Council, a two-year consultation process was undertaken with local residents to inform them of the sustainable manufacturing solution and achieved permission with little opposition.
The approved proposals involve a masterplan for the 27-hectare site and show 19,000 square metres of major extensions and modernisation, involving the introduction of state-of-the-art facilities on a Green Belt site, near to the villages of Bretherton and Tarleton.
Open days held for the villagers secured good attendance and 2,500 brochures were sent to residents to explain the company’s plans for the future and its sustainable proposals for the site. Acting on advice from Steven Abbott Associates an Environmental Impact Assessment was coordinated by BCA Landscape of Liverpool, which specifically addressed public concerns.
The proposals involve the replacement of the existing production facilities and construction of a new extrusion line, creation of on-site storage, an odour control system, waste-heat recovery system and rainwater recycling facilities, together with comprehensive plans for improved waste management and disposal.
By introducing a fully-automated finished product store, the proposals will save an estimated 17,500 two-way HGV trips in the local road network a year. In addition, a biomass boiler will generate energy, fuelled by willow grown on the Company’s land, locally.
One of GA’s greatest successes has been the Group’s commitment to high quality, sensitive design, including tree planting in a Green Belt location. This involved thinking about planting and habitat creation from the outset. The resultant planting has continued over the years.
Said GA Pet Food Partners’ Chairman Roger Bracewell: “At every stage, we have developed our investment plans sensitively to consider their impact on the countryside and the local community and kept all stakeholders fully informed. We are also grateful to the support of Chorley Borough Council and to the council members who visited the site.”
SAA’s Partner Steven Abbott said: “We are very pleased at the Council’s decision to support the proposals and recent news that the Secretary of State has also recognised its importance to the continuing success of the local economy means that progress can now get underway. This is a truly outstanding example of a sustainable agricultural diversification scheme.”
Apart from SAA and BCA Landscape theEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) supporting the planning application involved input from many other consultancies. These included Royal Haskoning (The Denis Wilson Partnership), ENTEC, Brock Carmichael Architects and environmental noise consultants, Sharps Redmore. A specialist legal audit was undertaken throughout by Mr Paul Tucker QC of Kings Chambers (Manchester).
GA Pet Food Partners has also worked closely with the Environment Agency throughout to resolve environmental permit issues.
(May 2010)
