A Runcorn-based company which employs hundreds of local staff has received approval for its expansion plans. Halton Council's planning department has given the go-ahead to joinery firm Howdens' application for modifications to its existing site on Astmoor Road.
The approved changes include a new extension and other alterations aimed at increasing storage space and accommodating more advanced manufacturing equipment. Howdens, a significant employer in Runcorn and the wider Halton area, was founded in 1995 and supplies trade customers with kitchens, joinery, and hardware.
The company operates two production sites, one in Howden, Yorkshire, and the other in Runcorn. The Runcorn site, spanning 45,000 sq m, employs 530 people.
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In the planning documents, Howdens stated that additional storage space is currently provided by a portal frame building at the front of the site, with a series of HGV trailers parked at the rear of the building serving as semi-permanent storage facilities. The proposed extension aims to provide 'much-needed' extra storage capacity and to facilitate the upgrading of the manufacturing plant.
Following approval, the company announced that the existing production line machinery would be replaced with more modern equipment, necessary to "keep pace with new technology and designs".
Approval was granted following a Halton planning officer's report, which said: "The local planning authority have worked with the applicant in a positive and proactive manner based on seeking solutions to problems arising in relation to dealing with planning applications."
Before commencing work, the company must submit a remediation strategy for council approval, addressing any potential contamination risks at the site. Additionally, noise restrictions have been imposed on any new plant equipment to be installed.
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