THE WENSLEYDALE Creamery has announced it will go ahead with a redevelopment project after planning permission was approved.

Planning officers at the Yorkshire Dales National Park granted permission for the 60-year-old Creamery building in Hawes to develop a new cheese production plant.

David Hartley, managing director of the Wensleydale Creamery, said: “We are delighted with the decision by the Yorkshire Dales National Park to grant our application to redevelop our Creamery building.

“The decision recognises and supports our ambition to invest in our business to ensure efficiency, capability and sustainability, but most importantly create a viable legacy for cheesemaking in Wensleydale for future generations.

“We have been producing cheese from the current Creamery building for 60 years and our exciting redevelopment plans will contribute to the sustainable growth of our business and in turn the Wensleydale economy.

“The backing of the Yorkshire Dale National Park, is the first stage in our plan to deliver a showcase facility for handcrafted cheese production and as a tourism destination for fans of the brand, that we are truly proud of.

"The next stage is to responsibly work through the projects financials, agree final specification details with planning officers and confirm an appropriate timescale for the redevelopment work to commence.”

The redevelopment will see all cheese production moved to the Gayle Lane site, Hawes, with the company's second dairy in Kirkby Malzeard, near Ripon, handling blending, order packing and dispatching.

The new buildings will include a whey processing plant and improved viewing facilities for visitors will also be created.