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10
Aug 2024
Plans to expand natural oil business near Ripon approved
Plans to expand a natural oil wholesaler near Ripon have been approved.
The application, which was sent to North Yorkshire Council in February, was submitted by the RJ & MJ Richardson Settlement Trust. But it seeks approval for the expansion of O&3 Oils.
The company, which manufactures and sells natural oil-based products, is based at Athelstan Business Park in Hutton Conyers.
According to a planning statement by ELG Planning, which was submitted in support of the application, the company already occupies three commercial units at the business park, with a cumulative floor area of around 40,000sqft.
It adds units two, three and five, which O&3 Oils currently use, are now at full capacity and additional storage is required to "meet customer demand".
The firm applied to erect the commercial unit directly next to unit five at the business park which, now approved, will be 48.5m x 25.4m. It will have an eaves and ridge height of 4.9m and 7.3m respectively, and will mainly be used for bulk storage of base ingredients.
The document adds a small section of the building – around 50sqm – will be used as a "staff and officer facilities ancillary". The two buildings will be linked by an external attachment, meaning it will effectively act as one large storage space.
The other units at the business park are occupied by different tenants, so they are not available to take over.
O&3 Oils also uses additional storage space off-site on an ad hoc basis, however the planning statement says this is not a "sustainable long-term solution". It also gives rise to additional loading and logistical inefficiencies, it adds.
The document says:
Given the nature of the product, the base ingredients cannot be stored externally for both quality control and security reasons. The business produces high quality/premium products for the market and base ingredients cannot reasonably be exposed to the elements without detriment to product quality.
The ingredients are also of considerable value and the business can store anywhere up to £4 million worth of product on site at any one time. As such, undercover/secure storage is essential in this instance.
The existing site layout.
The planning statement says increased trade with North American markets has placed "considerable strain" on existing operations at O&3 Oils, adding the extension is required to meet "contractual obligations with customers".
It adds the extension is a "practical and cost-effective" solution to the existing storage limitations.
Logistics
The planning statement says unit five is already used as a "goods in" location.
The existing access point will remain the same now the extension has been approved, which provides direct access from the A61 via a private network provided by the site owner. This avoids conflict with local highways networks, the planning statement says.
The document adds the business will place larger but less frequent orders with the additional storage space, which will result in fewer deliveries and a reduction in vehicles going in and out of the site, as well as a cut in costs.
This will also help to reduce the company’s carbon footprint, it adds.
The application was approved on July 30 subject to conditions.
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