A pharmaceutical company has been given the green light for expansion plans so it can make life saving, climate friendly inhalers — and create 150 jobs.
Bespak, at Holmes Chapel, specialises in inhaled and nasal drugs for conditions such as asthma.
Cheshire East’s Southern Planning Committee last week unanimously approved an application for the company to expand its manufacturing lines on 1.98 hectares of its site to the west of the existing manufacturing building and to the east of London Road, (writes local democracy reporter Belinda Ryan).
Chris Hirst, CEO of Bespak, told councillors: “We develop and produce life saving respiratory medicines, including the pressurised metered dose inhaler, pMDI.
“These devices currently use high global warming potential propellants, and the regulated changes mean the industry must transition to low carbon propellants, and we at Bespak are leading that transition.”
Mr Hirst said the UK was a global centre of excellence for pMDI technology, but only 5% of the inhalers used in the UK were manufactured domestically.
“This creates a vulnerability in our healthcare supply chain,” he said.
“Our proposal addresses this by enabling production of up to 80 million more pMDI devices using low carbon propellants, serving both UK and international markets.
“The benefits are clear. There is significant local investment, we’re creating significant new skilled jobs, and we’re building a stronger UK manufacturing base for these critical low carbon medicines.”
The application proposes a new 7,091 sq m two storey extension to the existing building and will occupy an area on the building’s southwestern elevation which currently comprises a soil mound.
Ward councillor Andrew Kolker welcomed the proposal and moved that it be approved.
“This is an excellent employer, and to have an additional 150 skilled jobs within Cheshire East and the Holmes Chapel area is very desirable,” he said.
He added: “I like the architecture of the building — the glass frontage does look quite impressive.”
