4,500 new jobs? Derby aims to take the lead in sustainable food manufacturing

The food manufacturing site in Derby could create up to 4,500 new jobs.
The proposed site will span 140 acres of the former Celanese site near Spondon. Credit: Steve Hall Communications/ Derby City Council

A new high-tech food manufacturing campus in Derby could create up to 4,500 new jobs.

Securing funding for the project has been described as a "massive boost" for the city after it was suggested that Derby's economy could be one of the hardest hit by coronavirus.

A total investment of £300million will include a huge food manufacturing plant operated by SmartParc. Investors say it will put Derby and the UK at the heart of global sustainable food manufacturing.

The proposed campus will be positioned over 140 acres of the former Celanese chemical plant near Spondon.

  • Environmental benefits

The new site aims to bring food producers together to reduce waste, lower carbon outputs and increase food security in the UK.

Plans for the campus show it to have its own shared energy plant which would reduce energy consumption and improve manufacturing efficiency.

A central distribution facility will also mean that food miles are lowered as both raw materials and finished goods are consolidated together before delivery.

Developers say the campus will use the very latest scientific methods including 'vertical farming' where crops are grown inside in stacked layers to eliminate the use of pesticides.

This method also reduces waste as it prevents crops from being damaged by bad weather.

The new plant will use high-tech scientific techniques such as vertical farming. Credit: Steve Hall Communications/ Derby City Council

Work to bring the plans to life is expected to start early 2021 with a planned opening scheduled for the end of the same year.

Jackie Wild, chief executive at SmartParc said the the campus will be more than a manufacturing site, it will act as a community hub.

She says that the new food innovation centre and skills facility that will be included in the plans will work with local charities, schools and partnerships to "reconnect people with the food that they eat".

The Government has also agreed to support the creation of an advanced manufacturing research centre at Infinity Park in Derby.

Artist impressions shows the proposed development in Derby. Credit: Steve Hall Communications/ Derby City Council

This space will create a new permanent home for the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, an organisation which helps companies develop new techniques to work in the nuclear sector and tackle manufacturing challenges in sectors such as automotive, rail, aerospace and renewable energy.

The plans mean that the research centre will also home the University of Derby’s Institute of Innovation in Sustainable Engineering.