Green light for leading Wolverhampton toilet roll firm’s £30m development

Task Consumer Products on Stafford Road, Fordhouses, is in the top 100 fastest growing private companies in the UK.

Established in 2007, the business is one of the largest independent paper converters in the country, with a manufacturing capacity in excess of 100,000 tonnes a year.

The application to expand, approved by planners this week, was made by Sherborne Paper Ltd and Stoford Properties Ltd on behalf of the company, which currently has 128 full-time employees.

Stoford planning director Jo Russell told a meeting of the council’s planning committee: "Task specialise in the manufacture and distribution of soft tissue products including toilet tissue, kitchen towels and hand towels.

"Established in 2007 and having been based at the site since mid-2010, they continue to benefit from motorway linkages and accessibility to a highly-skilled workforce.

"Task are also listed in The Sunday Times as one of the top 100 fastest growing private companies in the UK, ranking 54th – and it was the only Wolverhampton company to make the list, having climbed ten places in 12 months. Task also have a 15 per cent share of the toilet roll market.

"It will come as no surprise therefore, that Task require a new production facility to enable the expansion of their production lines and the creation of 50 additional new jobs. This represents a £30m investment into the city.

"The proposals include details of a new warehouse facility supported by an expanded production line and the consolidation of Task’s operations within one site, as opposed to the current scenario, whereby goods are stored off-site due to a lack of floor space.

"Therefore, these proposals will reduce the interim movement of goods within the business and will assist in carbon reduction as well.

“Task are fortunate in having land on site within their ownership that they can extend to and create new floor space without the need to relocate outside of Wolverhampton. The site is also a brownfield site and a former landfill site, and therefore we are remediating it too."

Planners earlier heard that the development would mean the loss of part of a Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation (SLINC).

However, the firm has put forward a compensatory payment for the loss of part of the SLINC, to be spent on improvements to Pendeford Mill Nature Reserve and Northycote Farm.

Ms Russell said: “The site is also of local importance for nature conservation. Through our proposals we will look to improve areas on the site through bird and bat boxes, pollinator posts, log piles and so forth. We have also agreed with officers for a £200,000 contribution payable to off-site nature improvements.”

Task director Nikul Patel added: “This significant milestone marks a pivotal moment in our company’s growth and expansion plans. The new site will provide us with the vital space needed to accommodate our increasing production demands and allow us to streamline our operations efficiently.

“With this development, we aim to enhance our capacity to meet the evolving needs of our customers and continue delivering high-quality products and services. We are grateful for the support from local authorities and stakeholders throughout the planning process, and we look forward to seeing our vision come to life as we embark on this exciting new chapter.”

The new building will be at the forefront of the site, acting as a first introduction to the Task facility. Arranged in a linear format and aligned to adjacent buildings, the gable end of the unit will face out onto Stafford Road as the most prominent elevation of the development.