South Kesteven District Council has granted planning permission to develop a food production facility that is slated to create more than 250 jobs.
During Thursday’s Planning Committee meeting, local representatives discussed proposals from Easton Properties Limited to develop the northern section of the former McCain’s factory site on Burton Lane, Easton, near Grantham.
The site is set to be developed alongside a £130 million cold storage facility which is reportedly nearing completion.
The applicant is also in discussions with Lincolnshire County Council regarding plans to upgrade the 1971 waste water treatment facility and deliver a new anaerobic digestion facility.
The McCain’s factory, which closed in 2020, ultimately resulted in the loss of 230 jobs.
The new food production facility is expected to create an estimated 254 direct full-time equivalent jobs and generate an annual added value estimated at £16.6 million.
It would also support 546 construction jobs across the East Midlands over a 1.5-year development period.
The proposed elevations Credit: SKDC
During the meeting, Sam Cordery, representing the applicant, stated that the development would allow food production to be consolidated on a single site, rather than the current process of storing in one place and transporting elsewhere, which they feel is a “very inefficient process.”
He explained that the current method can cause transport issues and is a costly operation, ultimately affecting consumers.
Councillor Tim Harrison (Independent) praised the proposal, stating that the employment benefits it would bring to the region would be “brilliant.”
A letter from ward Councillor David Bellamy (Conservative) was also read out in the meeting, explaining that he was pleased to hear that the application would “bring very real economic benefits to the area.”
However, he did raise some concerns regarding the cumulative lorry traffic from all three aspects of the site.