Plans submitted for job-creating food production scheme

Plans have been submitted which aim to bring food production back to part of a brownfield site in Lincolnshire and create a significant number of jobs in the process.Easton Properties Limited, part of the wider Sadel Group, is looking to regenerate part of the brownfield site off Burton Lane in Easton, South Kesteven.Lined up is a modern food production facility and supporting facilities to enable both food waste reduction and the production of renewable energy.The food production areas of the site have been “mostly dormant” since May 2020, when McCains closed one of their production facilities on the site, which led to the loss of approximately 230 jobs.A statement from the applicant said: “The site has a long history of food processing and food storage, and Easton Properties aim to return the site to its former glory, supporting the local economy and Lincolnshire’s wider food sector.”The earmarked land is identified as a ‘Protected Employment Site’. Sadel Group’s recent regeneration activity has involved the development of a new temperature-controlled warehouse to replace one that burned down in 2012.Additionally, there has been investment into redevelopment and modernisation of the existing facilities to ensure they can continue to operate into the future. These cold stores currently employ about 150 people. This employment figure will increase following completion of a new temperature-controlled store in Q3 2024.The plans also include an anaerobic digestor, which would be capable of taking in food waste and generating biogas for renewable energy production.Overall, it is estimated that the jobs created by the scheme would replace the 230 positions lost with the closure of the former McCains facility and “provide a greater range of skills-based opportunities, maximising the employment opportunities on this designated employment site”.The statement added: “Sadel Group hopes that the new proposals build on recent activities to regenerate the employment zone for South Kesteven, ensure these jobs are secured for decades to come and that the facility itself will contribute to the wider food security of Lincolnshire’s agricultural and food sector.”