Green light for Fassa Bortolo is ‘vote of confidence’ for region
Italian building materials firm Fassa Bortolo will build a 250,000sq ft production facility and offices at New Stanton Park in Derbyshire, after getting the go-ahead from planners at Erewash Borough Council.
The authority’s planning committee gave the go-ahead for the scheme, part of a £350m global expansion project by the Treviso-based firm, at a meeting this month – overruling objections over the height and scale of the proposals.
The development includes a 200ft-tall mixing tower and a 115,000 sq ft material storage warehouse, set to hold cement, lime, gypsum and sand which will be mixed with limestone and turned into a range of building materials on site.
Around 100 jobs are expected to be created when the new facility opens, according to company president Bortolo Fassa.
“We are extremely pleased to announce our new headquarters in the East Midlands,” he said.
“This investment in New Stanton Park is a strategic choice, dictated by growing demand for our high-quality solutions across the UK and our strong belief in the continued growth of the UK construction market.
“By expanding our specific product lines, we aim to bring our expertise closer to our customers and significantly strengthen our distribution network.”
The 200-acre New Stanton Park is built on the former Stanton Ironworks halfway between Nottingham and Derby, which closed down in 2007. Logistics firm DX Group built a 20,400 sq ft regional hub at the site in 2024, after outline planning permission for the scheme’s masterplan was secured by owners Verdant in 2023.
Three of the buildings included in the scheme exceed the maximum height of the outline permission for the site, with Dale Parish Council’s objection describing the application as “overdevelopment”, which was not in keeping with the area.
But planning officers in Erewash said a redesign of the buildings on the proposal was neither “realistic or pragmatic option” for the applicant, adding that they were likely to take the scheme elsewhere rather than rework it from scratch.
“Whilst the introduction of the tower into the landscape would cause a small amount of visual harm, this is significantly outweighed by the economic benefits of the scheme and the noted benefits of simply bringing the site back into active use,” they noted in their report to committee.
Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward said Fassa Bortolo’s move represented a major vote of confidence in the region, adding that the relocation of the firm would create long-term opportunities for local people.
“Planning approval for Fassa Bortolo’s new factory shows once again why the East Midlands is becoming a first-choice location for global businesses. The creation of skilled jobs at a major strategic site with a proud industrial heritage is a significant boost for our economy and for communities across the region,” she said.
“Fassa Bortolo’s investment, alongside the wider regeneration of New Stanton Park, demonstrates the East Midlands’ strength as a destination for advanced manufacturing and underlines our determination to build a resilient, future-ready economy.”
David Ward, of Verdant Regeneration, added: “We are thrilled that Fassa Bortolo can now proceed with their development.
“The committee’s decision underlines what we have long believed: New Stanton Park is one of the best locations for manufacturing in the East Midlands. Fassa Bortolo is a prestigious international name, and their investment demonstrates the site’s growing reputation as a destination for modern industry.”
