Heinz has been given the go ahead to build a new ‘cookhouse’ to produce its famous cans of baked beans in Wigan.

It is one of the biggest food processing plants in Europe, produces billions of cans of food annually and employs hundreds of people.

Kraft Heinz made an application to build a new ‘cookhouse’ to replace the existing, depilated structure on site.

Scaffolding is around the existing structure due to health and safety concerns. The plan is to build a new structure around the exiting room while it is operational.

Wigan Today reports that Heinz have been given the go ahead with the plans.

“The Phase 2 additional capacity of the fourth cooker installation has the potential to create additional capacity which may lead to additional jobs,” a planning statement said.

“Ultimately the proposal is necessary to maintain the safe day to day operation of the site and existing processes which gives security to existing staff numbers.”

Kraft Heinz estimates that the project will take between nine and 12 months to complete.

“The primary positive impact of the proposed development will be the aesthetics of the existing structure,” the planning statement added. “Whilst the existing structure is only partly visible from most viewpoints the scaffolding support structure is not visibly appealing and the building looks like a permanent construction site currently.

“Upon completion of the works the building will be much more visibly appealing and will also offer a safe end result for staff and visitors to the site.

“The proposal also offers job security as an existing critical process can be maintained with future provision factored in for growth, this stabilises employment on the site and allows future scalability which could lead to additional staff requirements in due course.”