- 15/03/2019
- Posted by: Ken Skates MS
- Category: News
Residents opposing plans for increased production at a poultry plant in Wrexham are being supported by their AM and MP.
Ken Skates and Susan Elan Jones recently met campaigners to discuss Maelor Foods’ plans to process a million chickens a week at its Cross Lanes plant, the site of the former First Milk factory, which have twice been rejected by Wrexham Council.
The company has now lodged an appeal in a bid to get the decision overturned, which will be heard at Wrexham Memorial Hall on Wednesday March 27.
Clwyd South AM Mr Skates said: “I have been contacted by a number of my constituents who are understandably concerned about plans to increase production at Maelor Foods.
“Along with Wrexham Council and many of my constituents I supported the establishment of the company at the Cross Lanes site after the closure of First Milk in 2014, when more than 200 local jobs were lost. But residents’ concerns over this application must be recognised and satisfactorily addressed.”
Mr Skates and Ms Jones both raised objections with Wrexham Council and have also written to the independent Planning Inspectorate for Wales, which will rule on the application.
Ms Jones said: “We completely understand residents’ concerns and support their arguments. We have made all the representations we can and done everything possible. Now it’s in the hands of the independent planning inspector.”
Residents fear traffic problems on the A525 and odours from the plant will get worse if the production limit more than doubles from the current maximum of 400,000 birds a week.
