ROCKWOOL has secured approval for its first planning submission for a new manufacturing facility that would support hundreds of jobs in the West Midlands.
The leading global non-combustible insulation manufacturer ROCKWOOL submitted a Section 73 application to Birmingham City Council requesting permission to vary some of the details in the current planning permission for the Peddimore site, north east of Birmingham.
Now approval has been secured, ROCKWOOL plans to submit a more detailed Reserved Matters application later in 2025 or early 2026, which will provide specifics about the design of the facility. If the Reserved Matters application is approved, construction could begin later in 2026 with the facility becoming operational in 2029.
ROCKWOOL, which has operated from South Wales since 1979, has strong foundations in the UK and the Peddimore facility would be the company’s second local site, supporting hundreds of construction jobs and creating new, long-term skilled roles.
The proposed state-of-the-art insulation manufacturing facility would boost supply capacity for UK and Republic of Ireland customers, whilst also supporting the company’s ambitious global sustainability plans.
Engaging with the local community
Since plans for the new facility were announced in November 2024, ROCKWOOL has carried out the first phase of a community engagement programme to share initial information and listen to feedback.
ROCKWOOL plans to carry out a second phase of engagement once more detailed plans and designs have been developed. Information about the plans is available to view at www.rockwool.com/uk/peddimore and will be updated as the proposal develops.
Nick Wilson, Managing Director of ROCKWOOL UK & Ireland, said: “We are very pleased to have received approval for our Section 73 application and look forward to developing the plans further and sharing them with the community in the months ahead.
“We are grateful to everyone who took the time to provide feedback on our initial plans, which we will be considering as we progress. The West Midlands has a skilled, local workforce, a strong manufacturing tradition, and excellent transport links, so we believe the Peddimore site is an ideal location for us to expand our business and bolster our service to customers across the UK and Ireland.”
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