18 Dec. 2025: A planning application had been submitted to Flintshire Council to demolish the former Oakenholt paper mill, located at the Essity site off Chester Road.

The building is 12m high commercial brick building which houses a redundant paper machine with secondary structures of brick and metal cladding.

Essity has been given the go-ahead to knock down the building to make way for new soft and hard landscaping to the footprint of the proposed demolition, creation of a sloped pedestrian pathway providing access from the staff car park to the main pedestrian staff entrance and installation of new drainage infrastructure.

The company is also looking to make way for the provision of external lighting, retaining wall elements, new windows and doors to the stores building and the installation of two sections of gantry/pipe bridges to facilitate services connection between existing underground pipework and adjacent industrial buildings.

The plans for the site once the paper mill has been demolished will be subject to separate planning permission.

A planning statement says: "The project will rationalise this area of the site, improve safety and accessibility for staff, and maintain essential service connections to key buildings via new gantry and pipe bridges.

"The design integrates sensitively within the existing industrial setting, adopting durable, low-maintenance materials while enhancing operational efficiency, visual quality, and overall site functionality.

"Environmental considerations such as energy-efficient lighting, improved drainage, and biodiversity enhancement have been embedded in the design to ensure that the scheme delivers both operational and environmental benefits."

By Joe Robinson, www.leaderlive.co.uk/