MORE than 20 jobs could be created in Glastonbury if plans for a new concrete works are approved by district councillors, writes Daniel Mumby.

Tor Multimix Ltd, based on Thomas Way industrial estate, has applied to create the new concrete plant and associated storage facility on Dyehouse Lane, relocating their business to an area north of an existing industrial site and close to the vital A39.

The site lies within the development limit of Glastonbury and is allocated for employment with the council’s Local Plan Part I.

If approved, a new access road will be created over the Mill Stream, with lorries using Dyehouse Lane to access the A39 via the Beckery roundabout.

The plant equipment will be in the centre of the site, with vehicles following a one-way system for loading and parking for staff at the site’s northern edge.

The existing plant equipment at the Thomas Way site will be fully recycled once the new facility is operational.

A spokesman for Hill Reading Architects, representing the company, said: “The development looks to erect a new purpose-built facility that will not only enable the business to relocate, but also meet the highest environmental and sustainability standards through expanding on our current working practices with new plant, equipment and processes.

“We will reduce noise and recycle water, including all rainwater and waste water from production on the site being recycled back into the mixing process.

“A purpose-designed and -built work site will provide an excellent working environment for the staff. These are matters that should be ordinary expectations for a business in a modern, business-focussed country and not extraordinary, as is so often the case.”

The council’s Local Plan aims to create more than 1,000 new jobs in Glastonbury between 2006 and 2029, whether through designated employment land or windfall sites, which are plots that become available due to unforeseen circumstances.

Mendip District Council is expected to make a decision on the plans within the coming weeks.

If approval is granted, the company is expected to relocate to the new site by the end of the year, in light of the lease on their Thomas Way base being due to expire in December.