Pall Newquay Expansion Project

Proposal to extend our facility in Cornwall

Pall provides its customers with critical equipment for the manufacturing of biological therapeutics, which includes the manufacturing consumables critical for the production of multiple Covid-19 vaccines. Unprecedented increase in global demand for biological therapies means that Pall’s customers need more Pall products.

 

To meet these demands, Pall is proposing to extend our existing Newquay facility at St Columb Major, Cornwall, TR9 6TT. This informational website is intended to provide the local community with information about Pall’s proposals for the site. Pall appreciates your interest and engagement with us on this journey to better serve our customers and bring more opportunity to our community.

 

  • The site

  • Development proposal

  • Benefits

  • Next steps

  • FAQs

 

The site is located at Pall’s Newquay facility. The site is bounded to the:

  • North by residential properties and beyond is Newquay Road and agricultural fields;

  • East by St. Columb Major Industrial Estate beyond which is residential properties and St. Columb cemetery;

  • South and West by the A3059 and beyond which is agricultural land.

The existing production facility was developed originally in 1988-89 with an infill extension at the northwest corner added in 1994-95. Belt 6 will be located partly within the original 1988 building (warehouse area), partly within the 1994 extension (warehouse area over basement plant room) and partly within a two-storey westwards extension of the 1994 extension. Here at Pall we understand the existing production facility to comprise 1988 warehouse area – generally a single storey steel portal frame superstructure, supporting lightweight made-up roofing and cladding systems founded on reinforced concrete, groundbearing spread footings with a warehouse floor slab suspended on sleeper walls on groundbearing strip footings, all in reinforced concrete.

 

1994 extension – generally a two-storey steel portal frame superstructure, supporting lightweight made-up roofing and cladding systems founded on reinforced concrete, groundbearing spread footings with a composite precast concrete warehouse floor, suspended on steel beams, a ground bearing reinforced basement floor slab and ground bearing reinforced concrete retaining walls at the interface with the 1988 building to form the basement area. The site has a three-storey building at the approximate centre. This building houses production/manufacturing areas, office space, a canteen, kitchen, warehousing, locker rooms and toilets. A anaerobic digester located to the west of the main building treats liquid waste generated by the site. To the north of the main building is a chemicals storage building and sprinkler pump house . North and adjacent to these auxiliary buildings is a delivery yard.

 

The external areas of the site are occupied by access roads, car parking  areas of hardstanding and landscaping. An area in the north of the site is covered with scrub vegetation. Access is via an access lane on Canaton road, which connects to the A3059.

 

Operations at the site focus on the manufacturing of flatsheet membrane materials that later become filtration modules for use in bioprocessing applications and assembly of filtration devices for use in medical applications.

 

The site is designated as a Strategically Important Employment Site within Cornwall Council’s Local Plan and Site Allocations Development Plan Document.

 

In November 2021, Cornwall Council approved our plans for an expansion development at our Newquay facility. Click here for more information. The work is essential for us to continue to supply vital equipment in the manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines as well as creating additional higher wage jobs and providing investment into the county.

 

We appreciate that news of a development may lead to some uncertainty in the local community, but we will keep everyone informed as the project progresses. Please be assured that we are a long-time member of the community and we value our relationship with our neighbours. We are committed to providing regular updates through this website and answering any questions using the feedback form on the right-hand side of the page.

 

The development’s approval means that we can install additional flatsheet membrane manufacturing lines that go into a range of filters for vaccine production as well as a host of other medical and commercial uses.

 

The development includes:

 

  • Thoughtful clearance of a sensitive site and levelling the ground as necessary.

  • Demolition and relocation of the existing Wastewater Treatment Plant.

  • An extension to the existing building to accommodate new manufacturing lines and associated equipment.

  • Installation of:
    • new storage tanks
    • a regenerative thermal oxidiser (RTO)
    • a steam boiler
       
  • Relocation of the existing wastewater treatment plant and installation of a new wastewater treatment plant.

  • Alterations to the layout of existing on-site access roads and car parking. These areas will also be landscaped to enhance the view for our neighbours.

  • The movement of overhead power lines to underground which will make them more resilient and help prevent power cuts caused by storms.

 

Access to the development site will be from the site’s existing main access. A detailed landscaping plan has been created. This seeks to provide vegetative screening of the development and biodiversity enhancement as far as is practically possible.

 

Thank you for your interest in Pall Newquay. We will provide regular updates through the ‘Next Steps’ tab on this website. 

 

The proposals will deliver numerous benefits including:

  • The proposals will deliver a net-gain in biodiversity through the provision of on-site landscaping;

  • The proposals assist in safeguarding existing jobs on-site (with circa 485 people currently employed including apprentices) and are estimated to result in a need for an additional circa 25-30 employees and pave the way for further job growth in the future. Pall’s preference is to employ locally;

  • Pall’s preference to utilising local supply chains where possible during construction and ongoing use of the facility will provide local economic benefits;

  • The proposals will enable in-direct CO2 emission reductions by avoiding the importation of flatsheet membrane from the US and UK;

  • The proposals enable the production of filter media for use in ventilator and blood filtration medical devices. They therefore provide a vital service as part of the global response to the Covid-19 pandemic; and

  • Ongoing investment in Pall’s Newquay facility is key to the continuation of the current plant – if this investment is not secured at Newquay it will be directed to other Pall sites elsewhere in the UK or internationally.

 

Planning permission for Pall’s Newquay plant expansion has been approved as of the 29th of November 2021 by Cornwall Council. This is exciting news for the creation of additional permanent skilled jobs and financial investment in the County as well as helping with the global COVID vaccine rollout. 

 

Looking forward we will conduct the following work on site:

 

Week commencing 31st January:

  • Marking out of construction materials staging area
  • General maintenance activities
  • Equipment onsite: General equipment for site operations onsite from ~9am to ~4pm

 

Week commencing 7th February:

  • Relocation of storage areas
  • General maintenance activities
  • Equipment onsite: General equipment for site operations onsite from ~9am to ~4pm

 

Week commencing 14th February:

  • Relocation of storage areas
  • General maintenance activities
  • Equipment onsite: General equipment for site operations onsite from ~9am to ~4pm

 

 

 

 

Pall has been a proud member of the Newquay community and leading employer for more than 30 years. The health and safety of our employees and community members has always been our top priority. We comply with all local health and safety regulations and have been recognized internationally with certifications in Occupational Health and Safety Management, Environmental Management and Business Continuity Management.   

 

In light of our efforts to expand our plant operations in Newquay, we have received several questions from the community. We will use this page to consolidate and address those questions.

 

Q.    What chemicals are being used in the water treatment plant?

 

A.    The Treatment Plant uses an aerobic (oxygenated) process - this is a low chemical treatment process and as such we are using very small amount of chemicals that will be delivered in small volumes and stored securely in small volumes within the building located to the east of the plant. The plant is treating water which contains alcohol used in the production process, with concentrations less than those found in non-alcoholic beers.

 

Q.    What contingency plans are there in case the water treatment plant leaks?

 

A.    We have been operating our facility in Newquay for more than 30 years and the health and safety of our employees and local community is always our first priority.

 

Specific to the water treatment plant, the main tank is concrete and is designed to a high specification. The plant will undergo regular safety checks and maintenance to ensure it remains in good condition to avoid leakage. Other tanks and pipework located outside the building are located within a bunded area able to capture leaks. Chemicals will be stored within the building to the east.

 

Q.    What policies and procedures are there in place for the disposal of chemicals from the water treatment plant?

 

A.    All chemicals will be managed in accordance with Health and Safety Executive standards and guidance. The material requiring disposal will be a sludge waste which be collected from the building to the east and transported in sealed tankers by a specialist waste haulage contractor for disposal offsite.

 

Q.    How did you choose where the water treatment plant goes?

 

A.    The treatment plant has been arranged so the building storing and handling chemicals is farthest away from the houses. The corner of the main storage tank will be semi-buried and landscaped to reduce its visual impact. Further details area available in the Cornwall Council planning portal.

 

Q.    Will there be any odours? If so, how will odours be controlled?

 

A.    During normal operations, we expect very little smell to be produced by the treatment plant, with most of the identified smell sources housed within the building to the east. An updated odour assessment is being prepared as part of the revised air quality assessment for the site.

Leave feedback

Pall is committed to keeping the community informed of the emerging proposals. This website will receive periodic updates as we receive feedback from the community and Council Officers regarding the proposals.

 

We would like to hear from you. Please use the comment box below to submit any comments or questions you may have about this proposal. Thank you for growing with us.

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