Airbus factory bid go-ahead

Jun 20 2008 by Lois York, Chester Chronicle

A MASSIVE new factory will be built near Chester to manufacture a new generation of wings for the Airbus aircraft.

Airbus UK has been given the go-ahead by planners to build a new “north factory” at the Broughton site which will stand 280m x 255m x 25m – big enough for 15 football pitches.

The new factory, along with 544 car park spaces for workers, is needed for the new lightweight composite wings which Airbus hopes will secure work at Broughton for generations to come.

In May, a £103m research programme into new wing technology was announced which will keep the Broughton factory at the cutting edge of wing technology and secure the future for the 7,000 workforce.

Composite wings will be lighter, giving greater fuel efficiency and cost-savings than traditional metal wings.

The factory application was approved by Flintshire County Council’s planning committee on Wednesday.