Greggs has revealed plans to expand its North Tyneside base as part of moves to boost production capacity, while also creating 125 jobs.
The food-on-the-go favourite has put forward proposals for its Balliol Business Park site, which could trigger the demolition of some empty or redundant buildings to replaced by a new production line.
In planning documents sent to North Tyneside Council, Greggs said the works are needed to help it meet demand from its growing shop portfolio, which now stands at more than 2,200 shops across the UK in city centres, retail parks, train stations and airports and drive-thrus.
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The firm said it has developed the 19.7 acre site over the last 29 years to include a number of food production facilities, warehousing, offices and a Centre of Excellence – one of many several across the UK – as well as the recently completed Balliol National Distribution Centre (BNDC).
Greggs wants to demolish a number of structures as part of the new production line plans, including two long-standing temporary buildings, used as offices and storage, an existing ‘goods-in’ dock area with two docks for ‘Balliol 1’ building and existing plantrooms.
It hopes to convert a now redundant finished goods store into a fourth production line – called Project Gemini – and associated stores to create ‘Balliol 3’ building, adding around 6,500d sq ft of space.
Works would include the creation of a new link bridge, to provide safe transfer of workers, from the adjacent car park to first floor level changing, offices, and canteen space,and a new external walkway canopy between buildings Balliol 1 and 2.
In the documents, the firm says: “Greggs currently have circa 2,200 shops and have plans in place to grow to over 3,000 shops in the next few years. To support this growth, it is necessary to increase production capacity for all products. The Balliol facility currently makes most savoury products for the business (sausage rolls, pasties, etc), but by the end of 2023 sales and shop growth will exceed current supply.
“Greggs have therefore decided to expand operations at Balliol with the introduction of a 4th production line, Project Gemini, which will increase site output by circa 30%.
“This new production facility will be located within the ‘Balliol Freezer’ building that was previously the freezer storage facility for the Balliol site. This is now redundant, as frozen savoury products made at Balliol are now stored in the recently completed automated freezer within Project Triton, now called BNDC.”
Greggs is also looking to redevelop the area south of the Gosforth Bakery to improve general traffic flows around the site.
The new production facility will support approximately 125 new jobs at Balliol, through day and night shifts, as well as early and late shifts.
Meanwhile, Greggs said it is in the process of upgrading its HGV trailer fleet from single decker articulated trailers to double decker trailers, which can carry significantly more products per vehicle - a change which it said will offset the 30% increase in savoury despatches from site, from the proposed new facility.
Greggs has also recently introduced hybrid cars across its fleet in the coming few years full electric company cars will be offered and hybrids phased out so that the fleet will be fully electric from 2030.
The shop maintenance teams are also currently trialling electric vans, which will be rolled out across the business if the trials are successful.
