Astra-Zeneca unveil plans Macclesfield plant

Astra-Zeneca plans to construct a 96,000 sq ft manufacturing facility on Hurdsfield Industrial Estate in Macclesfield, has been recommended for approval at the next meeting of Cheshire East’s planning committee.

The site, off Hulley Road and the A523, previously held temporary portakabins and a single-storey steel framed workshop – which have been dismantled and removed.

Subject to a planning application for remediation works, this scheme will lower the hill site level to the surrounding ground level and prepare the site for redevelopment.

The two-storey building will enable A-Z to hire a further 72 employees to join the existing 1,800 site workforce. 

Hurdsfield Industrial Estate has been identified as a key employment site in the Cheshire East Local Plan Strategy.

According to the planner, Frost Planning: “This proposal as a new pharmaceutical manufacturing facility represents potential significant investment in the Macclesfield Campus. The manufacture of prescription medicines is a highly technical and complex process that requires a high degree of sophistication in both the equipment used in the manufacturing process and in the production building themselves.”

“Building 52 is designed to meet current and future regulatory requirements and it will be able to supply pharmaceutical formulation to the worldwide market for the next 20 years.”