SLR Consulting secures planning approval for paper mill

From appointment to planning submission took leading environmental consultancy SLR just four months for SAICA's proposed new £250M paper recycling facility in Manchester.


SAICA’s new plant, which received the green light last week from Trafford Council, will be constructed on the site of a derelict oil depot and will provide vitally needed processing capacity for the increasing amounts of recovered paper in the UK.

The multi-disciplinary project team, led by SLR technical director Keith Owen from its Nottingham office, carried out the planning application and environmental statement completely in house – submitting on time and on budget to match the client’s fast track time scale.

The proposed plant will receive 450,000 tonnes of recovered paper per annum and will produce 400,000 tonnes of lightweight high performance paper for use in corrugated cartons. This will reduce the need for large volumes of recovered paper to be exported and corrugated paper to be imported, as is currently the case.

The development includes a combined heat and power plant, which will meet all the site’s needs, with surplus power being supplied to the National Grid.

Water required for the paper making process will come from the adjacent Manchester Ship Canal and recycled in the on site water treatment plant to minimise usage.

A total of 200 new jobs will be created by the development and it is planned that initial ground preparation works will commence later this year.

SLR’s Keith Owen said: “It is extremely satisfying for the team that no further information was requested by the local authority prior to its positive determination of the application and the council officers and members at the planning committee spoke of the quality of the application and EIA.”

SAICA have also commissioned SLR to prepare the Environmental Permit for the plant, which is due to become operational in 2010.

SLR Group web site: www.slrconsulting.com

For further information on Saica, go to www.saica.es

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