Makers of the world’s second largest single malt whisky are set to triple production following the granting of planning permission for a new processing facility by the Cairngorms National Park Authority today (19th December).
Chivas Brothers, who own the Glenlivet Distillery in the Moray area of the Cairngorms National Park, had applied to the CNPA for permission to build a new facility and various other alterations and improvements at their site in Glenlivet. As well as increasing production, the developments will create 13 additional permanent jobs in the area.
The planning application includes a new processing building to house distilling operations, a new tank and equipment area, groundworks and landscaping, a replacement bio-plant, new pipework, new site access, alterations to the existing feed plant and new surface water arrangements.
Planning Officer Katherine Donnachie outlined the proposals to members this morning. She said: “This is a major application and as such has been subject to a statutory pre-application consultation with the community prior to the submission of the formal planning application. Some concerns have been raised over the course of the processing of this application particularly in relation to the roads round about the distillery and impacts on the River Livet.
“Planning conditions have been attached to the consent with regards to details of discharge and abstractions at the River Livet and to ensure that measures are taken to protect European protected species. The applicant has also agreed to improve the C57H road which leads to the distillery before production starts and have agreed to make a financial contribution towards improvements to the B9008 in the future when phase two of their development gets underway.”
Planning Committee member Duncan Bryden commented: “I fully support this application to expand operations at the Glenlivet Distillery. The economic importance of this proposal is of national significance as well as locally. Whisky is a major economic driver for Scotland with brands known the world over and it supports many jobs – often in rural areas like this.
“I welcome the applicant’s willingness to help improve the roads infrastructure in the vicinity and to using the opportunity to also incorporate a range of new energy efficiency measures at the distillery, which is good news for the environment.”
You can read the planning papers in full here.