FINAL approval has been granted for a trailblazing sodium bicarbonate plant in Northwich, which one planning chief previously referred to as ‘a monster’.

The LDRS reported in November how Cheshire West and Chester’s Planning Committee had given their backing to plans by Tata Chemicals to flatten its existing Sodium Bicarbonate Plant (SBP) at Winnington Works, and build a new one on a different part of the site with double the manufacturing capacity.

The firm said that by working alongside its recently approved carbon capture facility the new plant – dubbed EcoKarb – would have the lowest carbon footprint on the global market.

The scheme had been backed subject to conditions, and this week final approval was granted.

The new building will be over 56m high and will take two years to build, with the existing plant and 13 other buildings then being bulldozed, which is also likely to take a further two years. It will see an added 22 HGVs a day moving in and out of the area.

At the last meeting, Cllr Norman Wright raised concerns about the new building’s scale and proximity to new homes, he said: “There’s about 1,200 houses built opposite and then you’ve got this monster proposed opposite their new houses?”

In a statement published online,  the company said: “This is great news for our local community and Northwich, as it cements Winnington as the home of world-leading innovation and sustainable manufacturing, supporting existing jobs, and creating new roles too.”

The sodium bicarbonate the firm produces is currently used by a range of industries, including pharmaceuticals, kidney dialysis, food, animal feed and flue gas treatment.