News: Rolls-Royce plans set for approval

Outline plans from Roll-Royce for new advanced manufacturing facilities that could create 360 jobs in Rotherham are set to be approved.

Members of Rotherham Council's planning board are being recommended to approve the plans next week, providing a number of conditions are met.

Prepared by URS Scott Wilson, the application is for 44,700 sq m of manufacturing space on the Advanced Manufacturing Park that will create 360 jobs initially on around 13 ha of land that the company is acquiring from UK Coal.

The larger unit facing Highfield Spring is the 21,000 sq m "Project PoWeR" facility for manufacturing and assembling power vessels for the next generation of nuclear power stations in the United Kingdom.

The building will be irregular in shape to allow for the production of vessels that will weigh 140 tonnes and stand 23 metres high.

The second building in the centre of the AMP is the 14,900 sq m "Advanced Blade Casting" facility. This will be a sister factory to an existing operation in Derby and will manufacture fan blades, principally for the aerospace sector.

A third 8,800 sq m building next the casting facility is planned on residual land that Rolls-Royce is purchasing. The use is not yet known but it could be for another Rolls-Royce facility or for one of their suppliers, creating more jobs on the park.

Conditions relate to providing £850,000 towards improvements to the junction of A630 Parkway, B6533 Poplar Way and Europa Way, plus £24,000 towards four bus shelters on Highfield Spring. Sheffield Council had asked for a financial contribution towards the cost of the proposed Tinsley Link Road at junction 34 of the M1 but this has not been adhered to.

It is expected that detailed proposals will come forward for the Project PoWeR facility in early 2012 with proposals for the casting facility following later in the year. The overall programme for the Project PoWeR building anticipates delivery of the first vessel in 2015.

Rolls-Royce website

Images: Rolls-Royce / URS Scott Wilson