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Councillor Robert Macintyre, depute leader Argyll and Bute; Peter Humphreys First Milk chief executive; Richard Lochead, Rural Affairs and Environment Secretary; Tony McElroy, Tesco corporate affairs manager; Councillor John Semple, Robert Millar, First Milk with members of the farming community. c27cream01 |
THE LARGEST ever Scottish government pay out to the dairy industry has been given to Kintyre to build a new Campbeltown Creamery.
The deal, with First Milk co-operative and Tesco has seen the world food giant buy the site of the existing creamery to build a new store with petrol station; the creamery will relocate and up and running by the middle of 2011 and the old Tesco store will go on the open market.
The sale of the former whisky distillery to Tesco, First Milk funds and up to £3.9 million from the Scottish Government will finance the new creamery.
This secures the future of the 42 dairy farms in Kintyre and Gigha which supply milk to the creamery, creating £11 million for the local economy. It also secures more than 100 other jobs serving the creamery and farms - feed, haulage, maintenance and plant.
Announcement
As Richard Lochhead made the announcement on the steps of the creamery in front of the farming community he said: ‘Our largest-ever grant for a dairy company in Scotland proves that we are willing to turn words into action. I made it clear we are committed to doing all we can to support the Scottish Dairy sector.
‘The Campbeltown Creamery is a huge part of the social and economic fabric of Kintyre.’
Argyll and Bute Council has also given its backing to the plans.
‘Argyll and Bute will do everything to assist in
the speedy completion of planning,’ said depute leader Robert Macintyre.
‘We will do everything to overcome any possible objections that might occur.’
Tony McElroy, Tesco’s corporate affairs manager, said research had shown Campbeltown people travelling to stores in Oban and Glasgow to shop.
‘We know our existing store is very popular and believe that this is a fantastic opportunity.’ He added that the new store would be so large it would create more than 200 new jobs; the present store employs just under 100.
He said Tesco would undertake public consultations about the new store.
No damage to town
‘We are going to listen to as many local people as we possibly can,’ he said, adding that he did not believe a larger store would damage the town centre and that more people would stay in the town to shop.
Peter Humphreys the First Milk chief executive said he was pleased to see so many of the younger generation of farmers present at the announcement. ‘The creamery and the dairy farming community on the peninsula are mutually dependent.’
See next week’s Courier for news of the wider response to the announcement.
