A FAMILY of former pig farmers that makes more than two million sausages a month has unveiled a plan to relocate their business and take on dozens of staff.

Heck, which was launched by Debbie and Andrew Keeble in 2012, has applied to Hambleton District Council to change the use of a redundant farm at Leeming Lane, Sinderby, near Thirsk, demolish agricultural buildings and construct a building for food production, warehouse and distribution.

The rapidly expanding firm, which supplies numerous supermarkets and is expected to achieve revenues of £7m this year, is also seeking to extend a building on the site to create a visitor centre, a staff gym and offices.

The move to consolidate the business at a purpose-built plant on a single site, from premises on neighbouring farmstead near Wath and a starter unit at Leeming Bar Industrial Estate, follows the firm seeing sales rapidly increase with the launch of products such as chicken and heart-shaped sausages.

A spokesman for Carter Jonas, planning agents for Heck, said the Leeming Lane site had been selected following an extensive search, focussed near the A1(M) corridor to aid distribution.

He said the business employed 38 full-time staff and aimed to double that number at a new building and ancillary service space, which would need to have an operational floor area of up to 30,000sq ft.

He said: "The scheme also seeks to provide for a visitor facility as part of an educational offer being a key aspiration for the business as a centre of excellence to promote food awareness, healthy living and to explain the food production process and tie in with their agricultural background in this locality."

"As a consequence of the growth of the business their tenanted occupancy of the present site

is no longer viable and is woefully inadequate from an operational perspective.

"An aspiration to ownership of their own operating premises to secure their future is fundamental

to the proposals and the requirement to find an alternative site able to satisfy this and the

operational requirements as indicated above."

A pre-application enquiry by Heck, explaining why it needed a new site and the prospects of using Leeming Lane Farm, received support in principle from officers at the council, the leaders of which are keen to see the food and drink sector developed further in the district.