Bid to make cheese firm cream of the crop (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Multi-million pound plans for Wensleydale Creamery

8:00am Saturday 25th August 2012 in News By Joe Willis, Regional Chief Reporter

DAIRY bosses have unveiled multi-million-pound redevelopment plans to secure the future of a creamery.

The proposal, submitted to planners at the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, for Wensleydale Creamery, includes a new cheese production plant, visitor centre, smoke house and offices.

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

David Hartley, managing director of Wensleydale Dairy Products, said it is estimated the work at both sites would cost between £6m and £8m.

He said: “We have submitted a planning application for a new dairy on the Gayle Lane site. It’s a brand new building that will replace the existing structure, which was built in 1953.

“Our existing building is 60 years old and we feel we need to put facilities in place for the next 60 years.

“This will give us greater capacity, improved efficiencies and better standards of manufacturing.”

Mr Hartley said the dairy is supplying all the UK’s major retailers and had secured a number of contracts worldwide, including in the US and Canada.

He said that to continue supplying these markets, it was important the business had the correct infrastructure in place.

Despite recent turmoil within the dairy trade, which has included protests from farmers angry about falling milk prices, Mr Hartley said he remained optimistic about the future of the milk and cheese industry, and hoped the redevelopment would create a sustainable future for the business, its employees and its farm suppliers.

He added: “At the moment, we’re pulling the plans together and the next significant move will be to press the green button and say we’re going to commit the investment.”

The facility will include a whey processing plant, to allow the company to take advantage of a potentially lucrative market, and improved viewing facilities for visitors.

If planners back the proposal and the company decides to go ahead with the redevelopment, initial work could start next year, with the main build taking place the following year.

A public consultation event has taken place in Hawes, with plans receiving a positive response from residents, Mr Hartley said.

Upper Dales county councillor John Blackie said the redevelopment had his backing.

“It’s a hugely important local employer which has come forward with a very bold scheme to completely redevelop its visitor centre and make a much more welcoming front end,” he said.