(Title Image: WEPA)
Following public consultation events towards the end of 2019, plans have been formally submitted to Bridgend Council for an expansion of the WEPA paper mill near Coytrahen.
The plant is said to current produce 50,000 tonnes of paper a year, but due to increasing demand, it requires additional storage space and an increase in output to around 75,000 tonnes a year. 70 new jobs are expected to be created, adding to the existing 275 staff.
The expansion will include new space for bale storage, paper machines and a distribution hub. The biggest impact, visually, will be a new bay warehouse which will be several storeys high.
The main entrance from the A4063 will be upgraded to include a right-turn lane, with lorry parking and a new car park built to the north and north-east of the site. A second access point will be added to the south of the site mainly for use by HGVs. This second access will have an on-demand traffic light system and, again, a dedicated right-turn lane from the A4063.
If approved, work is expected to start in late summer/autumn 2020, though the expansion will be phased over five years.
