Pizza giant Dr Oetker plans 'key investment' into Leyland factory behind Chicago Town and Ristorante brands
The site makes 100 million pizzas every year.
Pizza making giant Dr Oetker is looking to make a ‘key investment’ into its Leyland manufacturing site.
Bosses at the German multinational have made an outline application to South Ribble Borough Council (SRBC) for an extension at 20 Marathon Place, on the Moss Side Industrial Estate.
The hub manufactures frozen pizzas, including well-known brands like Chicago Town and Ristorante, and is believed to employ more than 500 people. A major expansion was launched in 2019 to double the plant’s capacity to be able to produce 100 million pizzas every year.
The proposed lean-to extension would be to accommodate a new spiral freezer and an external hot water storage tank.
A planning statement submitted to SRBC says: “The new spiral freezer is a key investment for the Leyland site, enabling the business to meet increasing market demand for its products. The project will support the long term sustainability of the factory by improving production efficiency, increasing capacity, and helping to safeguard local employment.
“In addition to the building extension, this planning application also seeks permission to install an external hot water storage tank. This will support the expansion of the site's heat pump network, allowing greater use of low carbon heating technology and further reducing the site's carbon footprint.”
They say there will be no increase in noise, emissions or disturbance beyond current operations and that the proposal “is appropriate, well integrated and supports ongoing industrial use.”
A decision will be made in coming weeks by SRBC.
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