Plans for a £6m investment to secure Coleford’s Ribena factory as a major employer in the region have been deferred.

The Lucozade Ribena Suntory-owned Royal Forest Factory in Rock Lane is one of their largest in Europe and produces around a billion bottles per year.

The site’s owners say the factory has a huge role to play in how they grow for good. And their plans to become completely independent of its current gas turbine through a new electricity connection were debated today (May 13).

Their scheme includes creating a substation building, compound and two transformers next to the Lucozade Ribena factory.

The proposed plant would operate 24/7 and its main objective is to eliminate the reliance on an on-site gas turbine.

According to a report presented to Forest of Dean District Council planners it is the largest consumer of natural gas and is approaching the end of its operational life. As a result, reliability is also diminishing.

Those behind the scheme say the project will mark a significant step towards reducing their reliance on natural gas.

The substation has been designed with the flexibility to integrate additional renewable energy sources in the future, they said.

And the main access into the proposed development would be from the north via Rock Lane, with a secondary access to the west via an access road which serves the factory car park.

Consultants working on the scheme said the substation has been designed with the flexibility to integrate additional renewable energy sources in the future.

And National Grid says the proposed cable route following the highway will not affect the landscape.

The existing electricity network will not be affected by the works and the connection has been designed to meet the necessary requirements of the site, National Grid added.

The plans were considered by the development management committee in Coleford.

Councillor Clive Elsmore (I, Coleford) said initially there were concerns over lighting and noise from the site.

But he said these fears have been allayed due to the proposed planning conditions.

And Cllr Ian Whitburn (I, Coleford) said there could be “far worse things” on the site. He suggested more mature trees could be planted there.

“As a major employer in Coleford, we do need to help this factory survive,” he said.

“As we all are in the Forest of Dean, we are subject to the electricity being switched off when it is short elsewhere.

“This has caused major effects on this site in the past. This would help alleviate that in the future.”

Officers had recommended councillors should vote to grant delegated permission.

However, during the meeting, the applicants emailed requesting a deferral as they expect additional information from National Grid.

Councillors proceeded to debate the proposals.

During which Councillor Simon Phelps (I, Westbury-on-Severn) joked there was “not a blackcurrant bush in sight.”

And Cllr Beth Llewellyn (G, Bream) asked about the possibility of moving the access to save a well-established hawthorne tree on the site.

Officers said they would ask why the removal of the tree is necessary.

The committee voted unanimously to defer the proposals at the request of the applicant Lucozade Ribena Suntory Ltd.

The planning application is expected to be debated at the next meeting in June.