Pet food producer to invest £150 million in modernising Cambs plant
Pet food producer Purina –
owner of major brands such as Felix, Gourmet and Winalot – is investing more than £150 million at its factory in Wisbech in Cambs and creating 40 new jobs in an upgrade of the plant. The programme, which is set to run until next year, will modernise the technology and machinery on its production lines, improve facilities for the 600-plus employees and boost energy efficiency. Investment in staff skills is also planned, together with a refurbishment of changing rooms and break out areas and a new car park. Jez McInerney, Purina’s Wisbech factory manager, who is overseeing the upgrades, said: “We’re delighted to have secured this large-scale investment, to ensure our site is best-in-class and fit for the bright future that it has ahead of it.” The plant in Cromwell Road, which Purina has owned since 1998, produces more than a billion wet pet food meals a year and has more than more than 85 per cent of its employees live within a local 20-mile radius.
New food hall set to open in Ipswich town centre building after £2 million refurbishment
A former Yates’s bar in Ipswich town centre is undergoing a £2 million refurbishment to create a new international food hall which will create 75 new jobs. Penn Commercial has let the 11,172 sq ft Trafalgar House to Sandeep Singh on a 20-year lease. With work now underway, the hope is that the new ‘Tower Street Food Hall’ will open before Christmas. The venue, opposite the bus station, has been in planning for two years and will feature a range of food stalls, two bars and a children’s play area. The ground floor will see food counters offering various cuisines, including Italian, Indian, Japanese and American. More seating and a larger bar area, offering local craft beers, wines and cocktails will be available on the first floor and the second floor will feature a banqueting hall available to hire. Paul Keen of Penn Commercial said: “It is exciting that Ipswich has been chosen for this innovative venture. We have worked closely with our client and Sandeep, so that this ambitious vision has been able to come to fruition.”
Sandeep Singh said: “We wanted to have a nice family feel to the ground floor, and we will have a main bar on the first floor, so people can still come upstairs and enjoy it, while keeping an area for families…We can host up to 200 people across the first and second floor, while also serving regular customers on the ground floor.”
Work set to start on 600 new homes in Norfolk after more land ‘enters the pipeline’
Plans for 600 new homes at Long Stratton in south Norfolk have moved forward after a near-100 acre site to the west of the A140 has been bought by developer Norfolk Homes. Planning permission was granted in September last year for the homes, with 213 already having detailed consent – the first major planning permission with a nutrient neutrality mitigation strategy signed off in the county. Work is set to start soon and the homes will be built with open space and a new relief road. The land – sold for the landowner by Savills in Norwich – is part of a wider Long Stratton project involvig 1,875 homes alongside a new school, sports pitches, community facilities and new commercial and business space. Richard Shuldham at Savills said: “Appetite for land and demand for new homes in Norfolk is growing – but the restrictions relating to nutrient neutrality have meant that activity has been somewhat subdued. However local authorities now appear to have greater clarity and we are starting to see more land enter the pipeline.”
Separately, plans to redevelop the former Mid Suffolk District Council office in Needham Market – potentially paving the way for 60 new homes – have taken a step forward after the site was put up for sale by Savills. The 3.3 acre site (photo, right) has planning permission for 60 residential units – 48 new build homes and 12 converted apartments in the Grade II listed Hurstlea House. The council has already delivered the first phase of the site’s redevelopment.
Australian hydrogen storage firm opens office in Harwich
Rux Energy, a provider of hydrogen storage solutions based in Sydney, Australia, is opening its first UK office in Harwich on a Freeport East site which it is hoped will contribute to local economic growth and job creation.The engineering office will serve as a hub for Rux Energy’s operations in the UK and Europe, which include delivery of two Innovate UK-funded programmes where Rux is a consortium member. Dr Jehan Kanga, founder and CEO of Rux Energy, said: “This new office will allow us to better serve our customers and partners, and help accelerate the adoption of hydrogen as a clean energy source.” Freeport East includes a green hydrogen hub and Rux Energy has agreed partnerships and strategic support from Freeport East and the universities of Suffolk and Cranfield.
Tendring District Council Councillor Ivan Henderson said: “Our ambition is to make Harwich and Bathside Bay a national leader in the green energy revolution, so we warmly welcome this innovative international enterprise to help us realise that goal.”
Photo: Rux Energy UK’s engineering lead Tim Gowing, CEO Dr Jehan Kanga, and business development manager, Robert Edge .
Accountancy firm launches service to use sustainability data
Accountancy and business advisory firm Larking Gowen has launched a new service to help clients capture and use sustainability data for short and long-term goals. The firm has formed a strategic partnership with neoeco, a software platform focusing on ESG reporting. Larking Gowen partner Laurie Hill said: “The need to demonstrate your ESG credentials is being driven by top-down regulation currently impacting larger businesses, and it’s beginning to be pushed down the supply chains. If you’re being asked to tender for a particular contract that requires demonstrable sustainability credentials, you’ve got the data to back up your ESG policy, and you can be ahead of the game,” he said. Data can be collected from various sources, including accounting software, HR systems, ERP systems, and smart energy meters, then reconciled with sustainability points from national or international databases.
Cambridge charity wins awards for new almshouse development
A Cambridge charity has won three national awards for its new Passivhaus-accredited almshouses – and has been shortlisted for a further accolade. Girton Town Charity’s Dovehouse Court development has won the Innovation For Living Award from the Almshouse Association. It has also had two further successes in the British Homes Awards for the Later Living/Supported Living Design of the Year and the Judges’ Award for Sustainable Project of the Year, both presented to Mole Architects. As the first almshouses in the UK to fully conform to certified Passivhaus standards, Dovehouse Court was singled out for both awards for its sustainability credentials and low-rise design. The homes are designed for extended independent living for the over 55s. Ann Bonnett, chair of GTC said: “We are thrilled to have won these three awards against fierce competition from projects across the UK. It is very fitting that the inspirational design for Dovehouse Court – adhering to traditional almshouse layouts around a central courtyard to encourage social interaction and the state-of-the-art Passivhaus energy efficiency credentials – should be recognised in this way.”
