FDBusiness.com

First Milk’s plans to build a state-of-the-art creamery at Campbeltown in Scotland have moved a step forward after Argyll & Bute Council approved a planning proposal for a new Tesco store. The Tesco store will be built on the site of First Milk’s existing creamery at Campbeltown, allowing the UK dairy farmers’ co-operate to relocate the business to purpose-built premises on the outskirts of the town.

First Milk was granted planning permission for the new creamery at Snipefield in the summer but a move could not take place without Tesco also being granted approval to build a new store on the site of the existing creamery.

The new creamery will secure the future of 40 dairy farms and 100 jobs in the Kintyre area. The proposed creamery will be funded from three sources – up to £3.9m from the Scottish Government; the sale of the existing creamery site to Tesco and funds from First Milk.

The current creamery was built in the 1820s as a whisky distillery before being converted to a cheese-manufacturing facility. With no other viable processing outlet for these farms, future prospects for the dairy industry in the area were bleak without a replacement creamery.