Planning approval secured for Perspex International’s Chapels Park expansion

Article posted on: 14 January 2025

We’re thrilled to share that planning approval has been granted for the significant expansion of Perspex International’s Chapels Park plant in Darwen, Lancashire.

This £40m development will see the construction of a new 1,160m2 polymerisation hall, located adjacent to the existing manufacturing facility. The project aims to streamline Perspex International’s current manufacturing process, consolidating three existing plants into a single facility, resulting in a greener, more efficient manufacturing facility.

For over 90 years, Perspex International has been a cornerstone of Darwen’s industrial heritage and remains the sole production site for Perspex® acrylic sheet across the UK. This expansion strengthens its legacy, while reaffirming the company’s commitment to the local community by safeguarding jobs and creating new employment opportunities.

As the appointed geoenvironmental, civil, structural and MEP engineers, Clancy has collaborated closely with Perspex International and Hart Process Services to overcome complex and unique site constraints. Utilising our extensive multi-disciplinary expertise, we’ve delivered a bespoke design tailored to meet the specific requirements of the polymerisation process. Our engagement, including the preparation of a detailed pre-planning package, played a key role in achieving this planning approval milestone.

This project also demonstrates a clear commitment to sustainability, delivering significant environmental benefits and operational efficiencies, with significantly reduced energy consumption, water consumption and CO2 emissions. In fact, CO2 emissions are set to reduce by approximately 6,000 tonnes per year, whilst water consumption is expected to decrease by approximately 100,000 tonnes per year.

Carl Bebbington, Project Lead at Clancy commented: “We are delighted to be involved in this project and to have the opportunity to bring our extensive experience and multi-disciplinary capabilities to the table. The design has responded to the complex constraints of the site and the bespoke requirements of the Perspex polymerisation process which required close collaboration between client, process engineers and Clancy. The scheme will bring considerable energy, water and CO2 savings for the overall plant and our project team has kept a focus on ‘lean design’ to minimse the carbon footprint.”

This milestone marks the start of an exciting next chapter for Perspex International. Bryan Welch, Operations Director at Perspex stated: “It’s fantastic to be starting the New Year with news that plans for our investment at Chapels Park have been passed. Perspex International has a long and rich history in Darwen – a proud one that we want to build upon and continue to develop. Fascinatingly, Perspex first came to the town during the Second World War as it was seen as a safe place for the plant which was manufacturing Spitfire canopies.

“Perspex® acrylic has been a leading brand in plastic since the 1930s and Darwen is the only production site for Perspex® across the whole of the UK. This major new investment demonstrates our commitment to the town, it will allow us to modernise and streamline the way we work and allow us to become much greener – reducing CO2 emissions and water consumption, something we are passionate about.

“This is just the start of a major investment programme for Perspex International over the next 5 years, securing the future of the business in Darwen.”