Drinks maker submits new proposal to develop Boxford factory after withdrawing £35m expansion plan

Drinks manufacturer Konings has submitted fresh plans to develop its Boxford site, after withdrawing a proposed £35 million expansion project.

New plans to extend the existing production premises and car parking have been received by Babergh District Council.

It followed confirmation by Konings site lead Phil Clark last week that the company’s original plans were being abandoned in favour of an expansion strategy to protect jobs.

The new apple processing extension has already drawn criticism about its height of 15 metres.

On the council’s planning portal, David Lloyd of Wrights Way, Leavenheath, said: “The proposed increase in height of the existing building will worsen what is already an eyesore in such a sensitive location.”

Timothy Griffin, of Oaklands, Leavenheath, described the height of the proposed building as a “blight on the landscape” and Peter French, of School Street, Stoke-by-Nayland, said: “This proposed extension is far higher than the existing buildings, which are visible for miles across a largely unaltered agricultural landscape.”

He added: “This is the second application for this site. There are many brownfield sites with proper road links that can be used for industrial processing. The middle of an area of outstanding beauty is not one of them.”

On a Facebook page for Stoke-by-Nayland, Boxford and Leavenheath, Paul Simon commented: “Konings is looking to increase the height of an already permitted building from 10m to 15m and to create car parking at the southern side of the site.

“The increase in height is necessary to give sufficient tank storage space for aseptic juice storage and to give better operational flexibility,” he added.