CLIPPER Teas will begin demolishing offices in Beaminster next month after winning permission to redevelop its two sites and provide 45 new homes.

Wessanen UK, owners of Clipper Teas, was given the green light by West Dorset District Council to extend and consolidate its factory on the south site of its site on Broadwindsor Road. The firm also received outline planning permission to demolish its current buildings on the north site and develop 45 homes, including affordable housing provision.

Mark Bagwell, Operations Director at Wessanen UK, said: "We are obviously delighted to have received planning permission to proceed with our exciting production expansion plans.

"Demolition of the existing offices on the south side of the site is scheduled to begin in March of this year, with the extension to production to follow straight after.

"Our plan is to fully occupy the new build by the end of 2017 and therefore to have completely vacated the north side of the site. The whole team are busy thinking about layout plans and are extremely excited about this whole project."

A section 106 agreement between the district council and the company means that at least 35 per cent of the homes must be affordable housing, of which 70 per cent must be affordable rented units.

Mr Bagwell added: "The permission to subsequently develop the north side of the site for housing is great news overall for Beaminster, as evidenced by the fantastic feedback received from our community engagement event held last year.

"To coincide with the new production area, three new tea bagging machines have been commissioned to further support the massive growth of both Clipper and other Wessanen tea brands in Europe."

In a report on the proposals, case officer Andrew Martin said the housing development is “unquestionably a social benefit”.

He also said that although the scheme would “result in some visual harm”, but added that it “would not be significant”.

He added: “The council’s economic development team reports that the immediate economic benefit of the proposed development proceedings would be to secure the existing 120 jobs on site, with the potential to double the workforce within five years.

“The risk if the application is refused would be to see no further investment in the existing site and possible closure of all activity within three to five years – leading to the loss of all existing jobs and a further 50 in the local supply chain. This could amount to a total loss to the local economy of £21m per annum."