Visuals of a brand new £150m whisky maturation site in East Ayrshire have been released.
The vast blueprints were issued as bosses behind the transformative plans geared up to submit proposals to planning chiefs later this summer.
Beam Suntory, which owns Laphroaig, Bowmore and Auchentoshan unveiled proposals for a new Scotch whisky maturation site at the East Ayrshire boundary just off the M77 near Kingswell in March.
Following consultations attended by almost 200 people a proposal of application notice has been lodged with East Ayrshire Council for 70,000m2 of floor space for whisky storage and associated buildings. This equates to approximately half a million barrels of whisky to be matured, the production of which will boost the domestic economy and Scottish exports.
The site could create 40 new jobs with Beam Suntory currently employing round 400 people in Scotland.
Following consultations in Fenwick and Kilmarnock, further events will take place later this month with locals able to peak with the project team, including representatives from Beam Suntory and Energy Conscious Design Architects.
Events take place on: Saturday, May 20 from 10am to 5pm at the Burns Shopping Mall, Kilmarnock; Monday, May 22 from 2pm to 6pm at John Fulton Hall, Fenwick; and a live web chat with the project team on Tuesday, May 23 from 3pm to 6pm, accessible via: www.kingswellmaturation.co.uk
Craig Martin, General Manager of Manufacturing Operations – UK and Ireland, Beam Suntory said: “We were encouraged to see so many people engage with our first round of community consultation events. We take pride in playing an active role in the communities where our employees live and work. It’s crucial for us to understand what is important to local people and to receive their feedback.
“The upcoming events will give us another opportunity to proactively share information with the public and address any questions they may have. We look forward to meeting with more local residents in May who we hope will support our proposals to invest in East Ayrshire.”
The proposals represent a significant investment from Beam Suntory, a major producer and exporter of Scotch whisky, with brands including The Ardmore, Auchentoshan, Bowmore, Glen Garioch and Laphroaig.
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