New AMP facility plans get the go-ahead

Plans for a new manufacturing facility in a further extension of the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) have been given the green light.Harworth Group, supported by Barton Willmore and The Harris Partnership, submitted a reserved matters application to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council earlier this year for a site adjacent to the existing AMP development at Waverley.The proposal is for a 100,000 sq ft unit and follows on from the outline planning consent secured in 2019 for the development of expansion land at the AMP.The unit is set to comprise production space, offices, a demonstration area, warehousing and an employee canteen. A total of 65 parking spaces would be provided.The facility will be built for SBD Apparel, which develops, designs and manufactures specialist weightlifting support equipment.The company currently has a unit at R-Evolution on the AMP and the new property will allow it to combine this with its other facilities at Thurcross into a single larger site.The expansion is set to enable SBD to triple staff numbers to about 300, increase exports to approximately 100 countries worldwide, increase production, develop new products and expand into other sports.The application has now been approved by the council, subject to conditions, under delegated powers.Harworth Group also submitted an outline planning application earlier this year for up to 242,000 sq ft of additional floorspace at the AMP. A decision on this scheme is expected shortly.