PLANNING permission has been granted to allow Procast to create an all-new green technology complex, comprising an eco storage and fabrication building, training centre and design and research base.
The new facility will create 23 new jobs at Limekilnburn, on the outskirts of Hamilton, Lanarkshire – an area which has suffered from steady economic slow-down and continued depopulation.
Staff will be recruited from the local vicinity, where Procast have already pledged to provide work experience opportunities to pupils at local high schools, particularly through the renewable technologies division of the Group.
Procast have also committed – via the Kickstart Scheme – to providing employment opportunities for young people aged 16 to 24, who are currently on Universal Credit and who are at risk of long-term unemployment.
The new facilities – comprising the construction of one new building and upgrades to the existing office facilities – will generate economic activity in the villages of Limekilnburn and Quarter, which are socially and economically disadvantaged.
Through Procast Group’s presence in Strathaven, they have directly sustained several local businesses amid difficult economic times caused in part by the COVID pandemic.
South Lanarkshire Council have given them the green light to use the Limekilnburn site for R&D, training and for servicing renewable heating solutions such as air and ground-source heat pumps
The base will also be used to supply local landowners, farmers and the general community with a sustainable supply of Biomass Suppliers’ List-approved renewable energy fuels, which will help reduce the size of the carbon footprint in South Lanarkshire.
By having a combined service and fuel supply facility, Procast can provide a ‘”one-stop” service to local customers, which will also help reduce traffic volume in the locality.
Furthermore, the condition and visual appearance of the site will be improved as a result of Procast’s investment.
Through consultation with neighbouring business DC landscapes, Procast will also:
A Group spokesman said: “We want to provide long-term sustainable employment opportunities through the continued growth of our business and address the issue of depopulation in the immediate vicinity.
“We are a proven, progressive and carbon neutral-aimed business with ambitions to provide opportunities to invest in the infrastructure of these villages and help return them to their former vibrant pasts through tangible investment and regeneration.
“We are fully committed to South Lanarkshire, where Procast was founded and where we have grown and developed as a company over the years – and we see this development forming a key part of our long-term future.”
