Warburtons' £20m expansion approved

Warburtons, the family bakery, has been given the green light for a £20m expansion to its Burnley operation.

The Bolton firm already has a site on Billington Road where it employs 250. The additional facility will handle products such wraps and Sandwich Thins, and will create 60 jobs.

Work will begin on construction now that planning permission has been approved, with a view to completion in January 2015.

Neil Campbell, Warburtons managing director, said: “This is an exciting time for the business and underlines our continued commitment to future growth.

"We recognise that consumer needs and tastes are changing and we must ensure we are fit to meet their needs, now and into the future. As a family business, we are able to take decision for the long term and we’re looking forward to expanding our presence in Burnley – a town which we have been a part of for over 30 years.” The plant will be able to produce an average of 5,500 products per hour. There are similar plants in Bristol and Bolton.