Go ahead given for £150m UK dairy project in Aylesbury

The Secretary of State has confirmed that he will not call-in the £150 million Arla dairy proposal, giving Aylesbury Vale District Council (AVDC) the green light to grant detailed planning permission for the dairy and outline planning permission for the ancillary and supporting business park uses on the site near to Aston Clinton, Aylesbury.

On 23 September 2011, AVDC’s Strategic Planning Committee was unanimous in its decision to grant detailed planning permission for the UK’s first zero-carbon dairy and the business park.

Peter Lauritzen, CEO of Arla Foods UK plc, said: "The granting of planning permission means we can bring a state-of-the-art dairy to Aylesbury, creating 700 new jobs, a £20 million annual wages bill and delivering a £150 million private-sector led investment.

"Arla’s aim is to be a good long-term neighbour and we have therefore incorporated a multi million pound package of mitigation measures to effectively reduce or remove the effect of bringing the dairy to this site. We are also proposing to create a community liaison group so we can continue to work closely with local councillors and residents."

Arla Foods UK plc is home to some of the UK’s leading dairy brands including Cravendale, Lurpak and Anchor. Processing approximately two billion litres of milk a year Arla continues to be one of the UK’s leading dairy companies and a supplier of fresh liquid milk and cream to the top seven retailers.

Over 2,500 daily deliveries are made directly to stores nationwide and Arla brands can be found across the dairy category. As well as the leader of the butter, spreads and margarine sector, and a major supplier of other added value products including flavoured milk and cheese, Arla continues to build working relationships with Arla Foods Milk Partnership, a unique group of dairy farmers, which supplies around 90 per cent of Arla's total milk requirements.

Behind this leading business is a team of circa 2,800 people across the UK located at our dairies, distribution centres and head office.