Plans for packhouse at Natures Way Foods approved

Despite opposition from residents, Natures Way Foods’ (NWF) new packhouse got the go-ahead from the district’s southern area control committee, subject to the completion of a formal legal agreement. The facility will create 110 permanent jobs and 270 flexible operative roles.

CEO of NWF Susan Barratt warmly welcomed the decision.

“NWF is a very successful, world class business that has outgrown its existing facilities,” she said.

“We are expanding fast and this new facility is needed to help us fulfil our obligations to our customers, and to ensure continued and sustainable market growth.

“Not only will it allow us to become more efficient, but it will enable us to bring further employment to the area.”

The 9,000sq m packhouse will be built on land west of Chichester Food Park and is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.

The 2.4-hectare plot will be developed into a state-of-the-art refrigerated warehouse and salad packhouse, with offices and parking.

Councillors heard during the planning meeting on January 26 the packhouse would be 8m in height to the eaves and 11.9m to the ridge. Objectors claimed it would be an industrial operation which should be sited on a local industrial estate.

Resident Paul Jarvis said it was an industrial complex based on imported materials which would involve erosion of the green rural landscape, and another, Ian Sedgley, said agricultural land of this quality should not be used for factories in order to process food produce imported from overseas.

Mark Neave said the scheme should be rejected, like plans for an anaerobic digester in the area, which were unanimously opposed by the committee and refused consent by the county council.

Mark Hooper, representing Kingsbridge Estates, which will provide the new development, said the site was in a horticultural development area designated for this purpose. No statutory bodies had objected to it, and neither had the local parish council.

Owner Robert Langmead said: “We were pleased to work closely with the Chichester District Council and the local community, to ensure the much-needed facility was given the go-ahead.

“We focused on ensuring it was a sustainable development, in keeping with the Natures Way Foods ethos, and that the scheme complied with the requirements of the local plan.”

Susan Barratt, chief executive of Nature’s Way, said the majority of produce, 80 to 90 per cent, was imported from the local area in the summer. In the winter, about 80 per cent came from Spain. This was a packing, chilling, processing plant, not an industrial process.

A series of planning conditions was imposed, including a stipulation there should not be any cooking in the new building.