EXTENSIONS and other changes are planned for a vacant slaughterhouse at Mangerton Lane, Bradpole.

If agreed it could result in a doubling of staff, from 20 to 40, and 1,400 square metres of extra space.

The planning proposal is currently out for public consultation with a September 14th closing date for comments on the proposals.

The application also seeks to change the use of a home on the Crown Farm Meats site to offices and to create a new parking area for up to 40 vehicles with additional landscaping.

Agents acting for the business say the abattoir has been acquired by Shropshire-based Pickstock Telford Ltd after not being used for a year. The former farm site was first converted to abattoir use in the early 1990s.

It says that the property was bought to help prevent animals from farms in the South of the country having to travel too far for slaughter.

The works being proposed are to ensure the business complies fully with current standards with the alterations and extensions offering additional canteen and welfare space for staff.

In a submission to Dorset Council the planning agents say a residential property on the site, Ridgeway House, which was included in the sale, is tied to the abattoir use by a planning legal agreement, which the company would like to convert to office use.

Other changes include demolishing three buildings and altering others to improve the efficiency of the site, none of the proposed extensions being any higher than existing buildings.

Also planned are changes to the Lairage, to be altered and extended on the eastern side and the slaughter area/ processing area will be relocated to the north of the main  building allowing the central part of the building to be used for fridges and packaging.

The external elevations on the existing abattoir building will also be reclad and windows, doors, roller shutters and grilles will be altered to improve their appearance with solar panels added to the southern roof elevations.

The business says although there will be the loss of four trees from the changes additional landscaping and the new finishes to the buildings will improve the appearance of the site overall.