Tomlinson’s Dairies, in Minera, plans to increase milk production by 100Ml a year from next July following the awarding of the contract from Sainsbury, which will run until 2020.
The company, which currently produces 95Ml of milk a year, is expected to create 60 new jobs as a result of the development.
A three-stage planning application for the site is to be heard by Wrexham Council’s planning committee on Monday (October 3).
According to the planning committee report, the first stage is to expand a cold storage area and provide additional office accommodation.
Cold-storage capacity
The second stage will be to complete the cold storage capacity requirements, replace the raw milk silos, and improve areas around the factory building, including a new access road.
A third and final stage will include the construction of a building for the on-site production of milk in glass bottles.
The proposal has been met with objections by some resident and businesses, concerned mainly with increased noise and traffic levels.
Minera Community Council backed the plans, but recommended the impact of a busier factory operation be addressed with more than adequate screening and better soundproofing.
In the report, Wrexham Council head of environment and planning Lawrence Isted claimed the development would be of “considerable benefit” to the local economy.
He said: “The continued prosperity of dairy farm industry in north-east Wales is dependent upon it being able to sell the milk it produces. It can, therefore, only be of benefit to that sector if there is an increase demand for milk.
‘Least harmful option’
“While it has been suggested by objectors that alternatives should be considered, in my opinion the proposed extension is the most feasible and least harmful option. The application site has already occupied substantial operational dairy, therefore, it would be unreasonable to expect the applicants to relocate the entire business to another site.”
Isted also claimed that while the business relies on milk supplied by farms in north Wales, “there is no guarantee that it would remain within the county borough and/or that the existing work force would be able to retain their jobs if it were to relocate”.
In May, Sainsbury announced it would two extra milk processors from July 2017 to help deliver a “long-term, sustainable supply of fresh British milk”.
Tomlinson’s and London-based Medina Dairy joined existing Sainsbury suppliers, Arla and Müller Milk & Ingredients.
Tomlinson’s Dairies will take on milk distributed to stores in Wales and parts of England and Medina Dairy will supply a number of stores in the south of England.