Plans revealed for two huge greenhouses to grow ‘low carbon fresh produce’ that will ‘create 150 jobs’

Plans have been unveiled for a pair of 7.6 hectare greenhouses located directly between Dwr Cymru’s Five Fords Waste-Water Treatment Works and SecAnim Abattoir .

The development has been proposed by Brighton-headquartered Low Carbon Farming Ltd / Low Carbon Farming 2 Ltd, who say Wrexham could benefit from 150 new, long-term, green jobs by hosting the £50 million pound “cutting-edge, low carbon agriculture project”.

The structures, similar in design to two projects currently in construction in East Anglia, would capture both waste heat and carbon emissions from the Dwr Cymru facility and use them to grow significant quantities of low carbon fresh produce on site. The developers claim greenhouses’ high productivity, hydroponic growing system also uses ten times less water than traditional agriculture.

Scheduled for construction as early as spring 2021, developers hope the project’s promise of direct employment in both construction and operation, as well as indirectly through the agricultural supply chain, will help put Wrexham at the heart of Wales’ ‘green recovery’ from Covid-19.

Andy Allen, a Director at Low Carbon Farming, said: “We believe we have proposed the right project for this site and it comes at the right time for Wrexham.

“With a recession looming, much emphasis has been placed on unlocking infrastructure investment that can help protect regional economies from the storms ahead. Moreover, the sustainable DNA of our project will ensure that the region continues to benefit long into the future.

“The Five Fords project will benefit greatly from our experience in East Anglia, where two pioneering greenhouse projects passed swiftly and efficiently through the local planning process and now continue to take shape despite the additional challenges presented by coronavirus.

“Our preparatory work in Wrexham has been extensive and we’ve found no red flags. We now very much look forward to engaging with the community so as to capture and respond to local opinion.”

The pre-application consultation for the Five Fords project runs until early July and can be accessed at https://www.5-fords.com/