A Sunderland-based pallet manufacturing business is expanding its facilities at its Hetton site, following approval for a 55,000 sq ft site redevelopment.

James Jones & Sons (Pallets and Packaging) will expand and redevelop its premises into a green facility that will include the installation of a biomass boiler.

The company, which is part of a wider group that has facilities across the UK, is expanding its site to support growing customer demand.

The business has worked with architectural, structural and civil engineering firm, Building Design Northern (BDN), to create the plans for its new facility which will aide its growth and further support the company’s ethos of developing a fully sustainable supply chain service.

The biomass boiler will be fuelled by James Jones’s own recycled timber, enhancing its environmental credentials and reducing carbon emissions.

Peter McKenzie, managing director of James Jones’s Pallets and Packaging, said: “Our business is fully committed to creating a sustainable supply chain and takes every step to ensure that any new developments carefully consider local wildlife and habitats, residents and the environment.”

He added: “This development will provide additional employment opportunities for local residents whilst ensuring that the site and activities carried out thereon have little to no impact upon the environment.”

Managing director of BDN, Richard Marsden, said: “As a practice, we’re very much focused on developing plans that are kind to the planet, but that also help generate cost efficiencies for energy-intensive businesses like manufacturers, so this was a great project that we’re proud to have supported.”

Work will now begin on the new facility, which is expected to be completed in 2022.