Medical technology firm plans to invest in £7.6m expansion
AMEDICAL technology firm has unveiled plans worth £7.6m to expand its global development centre on Deeside Industrial Park.
ConvaTec said that an increase in demand for its services has led to proposals to build a new research and development facility, office accommodation, extended cafeteria and additional parking at the First Avenue site.
The development could see the company, which supplies products to manage chronic health conditions, take on up to 40 new staff at the base, which is home to its research and development department, as well as its UK commercial organisation.
ConvaTec said the building is currently at capacity, with 159 staff based there and some employees working off site.
A spokesman said: “The proposed plan would allow us to meet current and future operational needs, including an expansion of facilities to support our research and development programme and new office space for our UK organisation and other teams. The estimated investment, based on the plan submitted, would be more than £7.6m.
“In addition to better accommodating the needs of our current teams, the plan would accommodate an estimated 20-40 new employees, spread across the teams based at the site.”
A design and access statement accompanying the plans states that increased demand and recruitment has resulted in the office and work areas becoming “congested and undersized”.
The building is the main base for a number of teams, including wound therapeutics marketing, ostomy care marketing, UK commercial and financial operations and quality, regulatory and clinical affairs.
The application states: “The proposed site for the new research and development and office extensions is located within the development boundary of the existing ConvaTec global development centre complex.
“The existing building is a twostorey brick-clad building under a flat roof with ribbon glazing originally constructed in the mid1970s. ConvaTec are looking to develop a purpose-designed research and development facility and associated office accommodation. The accommodation provides space for a minimum of 190 members of staff with an allowance for future expansion within the office building.
“This includes the provision of additional research and development stability suite capacity, analytical laboratory facilities and office accommodation for the respective research and development and operations teams, as well as the associated facilities infrastructure.”
In November 2016 ConvaTec announced plans to cut 93 jobs from the site.
A consultation on the new plans is open until August 31, 2018 and Flintshire Council is aiming to make a decision by early October.