Plans lodged for new facility for manufacturer

A pair of industrial units together comprising almost 120,000 sq ft could be built on a site in South Yorkshire to support the expansion of a manufacturer under newly submitted plans.Masonite has submitted a full planning application to Barnsley Council for its site off Huddersfield Road in Darton.Masonite is a US-based construction material manufacturing business, with UK subsidiaries including Premdor and Solidor. Its UK operation, which manufactures timber doors, is headquartered in Darton.Planning permission is sought for the construction of new manufacturing and warehouse space on the land to the south of the existing Masonite site on Birthwaite Business Park.A total of 118,510 sq ft of industrial and warehousing space would be developed across two units, together with parking, yard areas, HGV parking and soft landscaped areas.The units would provide additional manufacturing and warehousing space, as well as enabling the relocation of Masonite UK’s headquarters.Masonite’s existing facility employs about 450 staff. The company has also recently launched the Masonite Academy to provide young people in the area with the opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge within engineering and manufacturing and address the skills shortage.A planning statement submitted as part of the application said: “The current proposals represent significant capital investment in the site underlining Masonite UK’s continued commitment to the area and will deliver a number of additional job opportunities for local people across a range of roles, including young people that have come through the Masonite Academy in association with Barnsley College.”