CRANSWICK has submitted a full planning application for a new poultry processing plant at Europarc in Grimsby.

The proposed facility would have capacity to process up to 1.75 million birds a week, although the planning statement describes this as a theoretical maximum covering peak periods rather than typical average throughput.

See also: EP 57 | Poultry Network Live: confidence, caution and the people challenge

Live poultry would be received at the site before stunning, processing, chilling, packing and dispatch. The plant would operate on a continuous or semi-continuous basis, including night-time working.

The full development is expected to cost around £200m, with Cranswick anticipating a similar level of investment in the local and regional supply chain in future years.

Around 800 contractors are expected to be employed during a two-year construction programme. Once operational, the plant would have a maximum workforce of approximately 1,400 people across all shifts and functions.

The application, submitted jointly by Cranswick Country Foods and Wykeland Properties, covers a processing facility of approximately 28,467sq m, together with loading bays, HGV circulation routes, offices, staff facilities and an on-site wastewater treatment plant.

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