Second round of public consultation launched on plan for major tissue mill in Goole

Metsä Group said that if built, the site would create over 400 jobs and provide a “significant boost” to employment opportunities across its supply chain.

The group said the site would also reduce the UK’s reliance on imports within the industry by more than 30 percent.

Alan Jeffery, Metsä Tissue’s technical director, said: “We are delighted to share our updated plans with the local community. Since we last shared our designs, a significant amount of work to finalise building layouts, biodiversity features and access plans has taken place.

“The mill would represent a tremendous opportunity for the region, both in terms of job creation and sustainability in tissue paper production. We look forward to welcoming back the public to our exhibition and receiving their feedback.”

Beginning on Wednesday, October 23, the consultation will run until Friday, November 15 and will provide the local community an opportunity to review the updated plans and provide feedback, before a formal planning application is submitted.

Metsä ran an initial public consultation on its emerging plans earlier this year. The firm said the feedback it received had been used to refine the technical and detailed design work.

The company will host a public exhibition on Tuesday, November 5 at the RaisE Business Centre, Tom Pudding Way, Goole, from 3:00pm to 7:00pm.

For those unable to attend the in-person event, a virtual exhibition of the plans will also be available on the project website.

The mill has been proposed to be built in several phases over the coming decade on a 211-acre site.

Speaking in September last year when the firm’s plans were initially announced, Esa Kaikkonen, CEO of Metsä Tissue, said: “Goole is the perfect location for this proposed investment.

“The Humber region provides a crucial gateway to the whole of the United Kingdom and the region’s ambitions to bring cutting-edge green technology and jobs to the UK matches our ambitions in clean, sustainable manufacturing.”

Property developer Wykeland Group, which holds long-term development rights to the site, has worked with Metsä Group on the plans for the mill.

Wykeland managing director Dominic Gibbons said last year: “We have worked closely with Metsä Tissue since the end of last year to support their ambitions to establish a world-class facility on the site and bring hundreds of new jobs to the region.

“We will continue to support Metsä Tissue through the planning process, bringing to the project our substantial experience within the region of large-scale developments delivering significant economic impact.”