Victory for protesters after Barton Moss U-turn.

posted by: Neal Keeling - Monday 8th March, 2010

PLANS to use 98 acres of prime greenbelt land for industrial use look set to be dropped.


Salford council had earmarked the land at Barton Moss, on the Eccles and Irlam border, to attract companies to the borough.

It would have meant either Grade I agricultural land or Boysnope Park golf course being ripped up to provide warehousing and other industry.

The site is to the west of City Airport Manchester – formerly Barton Aerodrome.
But the proposal triggered a wave of criticism from residents and politicians.

They feared major traffic congestion in the area as Trafford Centre owners, Peel Holdings already plan to open a huge freight terminal in Barton – Port Salford.

Salford City Reds rugby league team are also due to move into a new stadium in Barton in 2012. The council is borrowing £20m to build it.
Protestors staged a mass march in the location last month.

Now the city's planning boss says consultation with local people is likely to result in the proposal being ditched.

Councillor Derek Antrobus said: “I think it is fair to say there has been overwhelming public concern about the suggestion. I welcome that because I would be more concerned if their wasn't an outcry over the loss of greenbelt.

“But the objectors have also made telling points about the practicality of the idea. There are clear concerns about the way the need for employment land has been calculated.

Another major concern is about the impact on traffic. I don't think we can say anything certain about that until the planned Port Salford and Reds stadium are up an running.

We cannot risk the permanent loss of greenbelt land on the basis of evidence that is so uncertain. On the current evidence I would recommend that the council rejects the option to allocate greenbelt land.”

The proposal hand been included in the draft Core Strategy report which outlines the council's planning vision up to 2027.

The apparent U-turn comes just two months before the local elections.
It has been welcomed by former Labour councillors Roger Jones and Christine Hudson, who backed the local community in protesting against the idea.

In a joint statement, they said: “This is great news. It shows that a Labour council is genuine about consultation and listens to the arguments. It also shows how putting forward sound arguments delivers results.

The big debate now will be about those who want to support the Labour Council in protecting the greenbelt and those like Peel Holdings who want a mass of greenbelt to be released.”

Kingsland's high spirits

posted by: M.E.N - Tuesday 2nd March, 2010

An Irlam wine and spirits company is brewing up expansion plans including a £1m investment in new equipment as it looks to build up its own brand products and further establish itself in new sectors.



Diversification is key for Irlam-based Kingsland Wines and Spirits as it seeks to grow the success of its own range of 20 products, which has grown to around 15 per cent of total production over the last five years.

Its core business is supplying own-label wines for retailers including Tesco and Co-op.

The company will invest £1m on new plant and equipment this year to expand its capacity and allow new types of drinks to be produced, including carbonated wine.

A key area for the business in 2010 will be its independent division, which was launched 12 months ago.

It supplies Kingland’s own-label products to smaller chains of retailers and the hospitality industry, with clients including JW Lees and Thwaites pubs.

Managing director Andy Sagar said: “Independent buyers are responding to us. We have won 40 new customers in the last year and it is not an easy market to break into.”

The firm is also looking to build its spirits business, which currently makes up 3pc of turnover.

Mr Sagar said: “The wine market has historically seen about 5pc annual growth, but this has flattened out to around 2pc in the last couple of years.”
Kingsland is also making inroads into the travel sector, producing small single-serving bottles for sale on airlines including BMI, EasyJet, Jet2.com and, most recently, Etihad.
Turnover in 2009 was £141m, up from around £121m the year before.

Kingsland was formed in its current incarnation by a management buyout in 2004 and has grown its volume by 70pc to 70m litres a year since.

It has 300 staff at its 14 hectare site alongside the Manchester Ship Canal, which is used to transport wine from Liverpool docks to the bottling plant, a former Co-op manufacturing site.
Kingsland’s wine generally comes from ‘new world’ countries including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, America, Chile and Argentina. Most of the wines sell at retail for under £6 a bottle.

Around 97pc of Kingsland’s business is wine rather than spirits and it boast of being able to provide a ‘vine to shelf’ service, sourcing wine from suppliers across the world.shipping it to the UK, bottling it, delivering it and selling it.

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