The first jobs to be filled will be management roles in dairy processing and logistics, an Arla spokeswoman told FoodManufacture.co.uk.
“The project is being 100% funded by Arla and will provide a £20M annual wages bill, which will have a positive impact on the local economy,” the spokeswoman added.
Construction on the 70-acre site will create an additional 1,000 construction jobs during the 18-month construction period.
Once operational, the diary will process and pack up to 1bn litres of milk a year.
Fantastic news
Aylesbury councillor Michael Edmonds said that Arla’s recruitment plan was “fantastic news” for the local economy. “It's vital that we're able to support new business or the relocation of existing work where this brings very real benefits to people living in this area,” he said. “Well continue to look at how we can support companies, large and small, to invest in our district and, importantly, in our workforce.”
Peter Lauritzen, chief executive of Arla Foods UK, said: “We are delighted to be underway with the development of this new dairy. We have ambitions for it to be the world’s first zero carbon fresh milk dairy, which will help Arla achieve its growth ambitions in the UK.”
Preliminary plans
Arla also plans to open a business park at the site. Preliminary plans for the park have been approved and the firm will submit a detailed application, said the spokeswoman.
Meanwhile, the plan for the super dairy was beset by local opposition before approval was granted late last year. Arla modified its plans to accommodate the wishes of local residents.
At the time, Lauritzen told FoodManufacture.co.uk: “Arla’s aim is to be a good long-term neighbour and we have therefore incorporated a multi-million pound package of mitigation measures to effectively reduce or remove the effect of brining the dairy to this site.”
Arla Foods Milk Partnership has about 1,400 members who supply 1.6bn litres of milk to Arla Foods each year.