9 Sept. 2025: Wykeland’s plans for the tissue paper mill will come before East Yorkshire Council next week, with a couple of issues to be ironed out before approval is granted.

Plans were submitted to the council in February by Wykeland, which holds the development rights to the site and has been working alongside Metsä Tissue on the project for more than two years.

Also fronting up the project team is architect Corstorphine & Wright, planning consultancy Spawforths, and Tower Surveys, which undertook all the topographic work on the scheme.

The application for the tissue paper processing mill, car and HGV parking, associated earthworks, landscaping, and infrastructure is set to be deferred at first, to allow Natural England to comment on a revised wetland bird management plan and for a final calculation of the financial contribution towards J36 highway improvements.

Once these details have been finalised, the landmark scheme is recommended for approval.

Development will be carried out in four phases after the initial enabling phase, allowing the factory to operate at a smaller scale initially and grow as construction allows.

Enabling works are expected to commence in 2026 with all phases complete by 2035.

The 210-acre site is situated on the northern part of the 500-acre Goole tax site within the Humber Freeport, on land south east of Rawcliffe Road in Airmyn.

The mammoth mill would be Metsä’s first in the UK. It would have the capacity to produce 240,000 tonnes each year and would also increase the UK’s self-sufficiency in the manufacture of toilet tissue by 30%.

As well as the main production and storage factory, there will be a number of buildings needed for the different stages of manufacture of the tissue paper.

This includes a wet well and pumping station kiosk to draw water from the River Aire to be used in the paper making process, before being returned to the river.

https://www.placeyorkshire.co.uk/metsas-3m-sq-ft-factory-reaches-committee/