World famous Maldon Sea Salt is planning a major expansion of their operations in the district with a move into a new headquarters.

Maldon District Council agreed to grant the company permission to build a new headquarters and packaging and distribution centre at Oval Park off Hatfield Road as part of plans to double its production.

Salt production takes place in Goldhanger using water from the Blackwater River. Once harvested, the salt is taken to their current premises at Wycke Hill, where it is stored in a warehouse before being checked and packaged by high-capacity specialised machinery. The salt is then distributed to destinations all over the country and to more than 60 countries.

The new site at Oval Park will replace Wycke Hill and is expected to be operational by the end of early winter this year.

That new site was agreed alongside permission for a new headquarters for Tecniq – a technology design, engineering and manufacturing business for the high-end car sector.

An outline application for a self-contained business park set to create around 200 jobs in companies of a variety of sizes was also agreed at a planning meeting on February 16.

Sitting alongside all that was also an agreement for a new 148 space car park, with the existing 136 car parking spaces earmarked for the new developments.

Councillor Sue White said: "For me these are iconic companies. They are on a business site. We need to promote jobs, we need to promote security, we need to promote the brand of Maldon because for me these are the brands of Maldon."

A statement to the committee said: "The Maldon Crystal Salt Company is expanding its operation to keep up with demand and to retain its place in the UK's largest sea salt manufacturer infamous in the international market. Recent investment in infrastructure will see the company doubling its production capacity to keep pace with this everincreasing demand. Once production is fully operational further investment in infrastructure such as storage, packaging and distribution will be required."

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Nick Davey, agent for Maldon Sea Salt, told the meeting: "The company is on an ambitious growth trajectory and is currently doubling its production at Goldhanger and needs headquarters and research development, packaging and distribution facilities to match.

"The company wants to stay in the district and after searching for a number of years has identified Oval Park as the place where it wants to be."

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