£20m expansion plan for Yearsley Group at Heywood

Yearsley Group is set to submit a planning application for a new 160,000sq ft cold storage and distribution facility close to its UK headquarters in Heywood. The frozen food specialist hopes to acquire a neighbouring 13.6 acre plot to allow for the expansion of its North West operation, in a move that could create around 150 new jobs for the area.

The site is part of the Hareshill Distribution Park and already has outline planning consent for development for employment use. This latest application, due to be registered with Rochdale Borough Council next week, covers details such as layout, design and landscaping.

If approved, the plan would see investment of more than £20m in the acquisition of the land and construction of a new cold store, which would be built to high environmental rating standards. The expansion forms part of the Yearsley Group's mid- to long-term growth strategy, complementing the existing Heywood operation which employs around 300 people.

Harry Yearsley, managing director of Yearsley Group, said the proposal demonstrated the firm's commitment to the area. He said: "As our business continues to grow, we need to expand our current storage facility and distribution capacity to meet demand from customers and improve the efficiency of our operations.

"We invested heavily in making Heywood the centre of our UK operation in 1999 and it is the obvious location for our future expansion. The site is ideal for logistics distribution with good links to the M66, and would support our existing facility. We have almost 300 employees in Heywood, with the vast majority living within a 10-mile radius, and we are committed to supporting the economy of the Heywood and wider Rochdale area through the recruitment of local staff."

John Hudson, chief executive of the Rochdale Development Agency, said: "We have had a long association with the Yearsley Group and it is pleasing to see this important local company making plans for another major investment in the borough. The opportunity to create perhaps 150 new jobs is clearly welcome and helps consolidate the presence of this growing company in Heywood".

Councillor Peter Williams, Rochdale's Cabinet member for Corporate Management and Economic Regeneration, added: "We'll need to examine the planning aspects of the proposed development, but we welcome Yearsley Group's commitment to investing in the borough and creating new jobs. It also shows once again that Heywood is well placed for accommodating successful and expanding businesses."

Yearsley Group operates in two sectors: frozen food sales and cold storage and distribution. The new facility would expand the capacity of the storage and logistics division. The proposed building would be similar in style to the neighbouring facility, providing a floor space of around 160,000 sq ft. The height of the proposed building would be within the parameters set by the outline planning permission, and would be built to the environmental rating - BREEAM 'Very Good' - standard. The plan includes provision for 111 car parking spaces. HGV parking and 20 employee cycle spaces will also be provided, with access via Hareshill Road and Hill Top Road. All current and new employees would be encouraged to respect the company's green travel plan, promoting car sharing, cycling and walking, and the use of public transport. Additional HGV traffic would be directed, as at present, along the distribution park's dedicated logistics route to the M66, avoiding Heywood's main residential areas.