Cranswick Foods: Plan to expand Yorkshire plant amid noise, light and smells concerns

Hull City Council’s planning committee has approved plans for two new packing and storage units at the company’s Geneva Way site, near Sutton Road. Plans from the company stated additional facilities were needed on site to allow it to expand, adding there would be no food processing happening in the new units.

But Holderness ward councillors said that while they did not object, people living near the site had had issues with noise, light and odour in the past. The plant is close to Lindengate Avenue in east Hull and several extensions have been added since it was first built. One of the facilities on site is an odour control plant.

Plans councillors approved on July 5 are set to see part of the site demolished to make way for the two storey extensions. The extensions are for extra boxing, labelling and palletising space along with engineering works and servicing and storage areas. Plans stated the extensions would help boost production levels.

They stated: “The proposed extensions do not aim to increase the level of traffic coming in and out of the site and will not increase the level of employment at the site. However, an increased area for the boxing, labelling and palletising would see the faster movement of finished goods to stores.

“Due to the nature of the works, no additional noise or odours are going to be generated, the proposed works are small in comparison to the size of the existing site. All new proposed external lighting has been specified as downlighters and therefore will not be increasing light levels. The proposed extension aims to support a growing business.”

Coun Jackie Dad, one of the Holderness ward members who asked the application to go before the committee, said their concerns were because of how close neighbouring homes are.

The ward member said: “We’re not objecting because this a valued company in the area. But we have worked with locals on aroma, light and other problems in the past. We want assurances because the extension is in the area where we’ve had these problems.”

Extra conditions on lighting and limiting building works to 8am to 5.30pm on weekdays were included as part of the application’s approval.