Approval given for new manufacturing facility

Lewis Smith – Local democracy reporter

Plans to create a new manufacturing facility in the Neath Port Talbot area have been given the go-ahead by council planning officers.

The approved plans could see the development of an advanced composite manufacturing facility at the dockside in Briton Ferry Wharf.

The plans were handed in by Camplas Technology Ltd, a company trading for over 50 years and which manufactures glass reinforced plastic or (GRP) storage tanks.

It could see the creation of the new facility alongside associated parking, storage, and loading facilities at the dockside, on the site of the former Lafarge/Tarmac industrial facility.

Restrictions

The plans read: “There is a domestic and international demand for high capacity tanks and their transportation by sea would overcome the restrictions imposed by the UK highway system and enable whole tanks to be transported directly from a purpose built manufacturing base with wharfing facilities.

“The proposal is to establish a manufacturing facility at Briton Ferry adjacent to the existing wharf facility, at the former Tarmac Lafarge batching plant, as this will allow the export of the high volume GRP tanks.

“The wharf is therefore a key element in the development proposal as the oversize product could be manufactured at the Briton Ferry site and then loaded directly onto suitable vessels for transportation to international customers.”

The plans for the facility were approved by Neath Port Talbot planning officers as part of their delegated decisions made between January 20 and February 10, before being taken forward to members of the local council on February 18, 2025.