A temporary plant making construction materials for the A14 upgrade will create 14 jobs in St Ives, the firm has said.

The Hunts Post: Aerial shots of the work being carried out on at the A14 at Brampton. Picture: GEOFF SODEN.Aerial shots of the work being carried out on at the A14 at Brampton. Picture: GEOFF SODEN. (Image: Archant)

The site, off Meadow Lane, could operate 24 hours a day if it gets the go ahead.

Aggregates and asphalt supplier Midland Quarry Products (MQP), part of building materials supplier Hanson UK, has applied to Huntingdonshire District Council for temporary permission to build the £1 million plant on a restored former gravel pit off Second Drove, close to the park and ride site.

The scheme involves an asphalt and concrete batching plant which would operate until 2021 when work on rebuilding the A14 is expected to be complete. It would include offices, stocking bays and infrastructure which would be dismantled and removed when no longer required.

MQP and Hanson already operate similar facilities 300m nearby but they cannot meet demand for materials for the A14 as well as from existing customers.

A document included as part off the planning application said: “The company is seeking planning permission to operate secondary plants to supply the A14 construction project for which MQP/Hanson has been awarded supply contracts.

“The existing plants cannot meet the supply requirements of the A14 construction project (in terms of output and delivery times) in addition to meeting their existing customer day to day demand.”

It said secondary plants were commonly deployed near major construction schemes where there were good transport links to ensure rapid delivery of materials.

The application said 14 full-time members of staff, including plant operatives and drivers, would be required and the scheme could also have an impact on jobs in the supply chain.

MQP and Hanson want to operate the site around the clock, in line with its present facilities, in order to meet increased demand for night-time working on major construction projects like the A14, in order to reduce congestion at peak times. They expect most of the work would be carried out between 6am and 6pm.

The firms say the plant would have little impact in environmental terms and regulations to limit emissions would be in place and it would operate within MQP’s environmental and health and safety management procedures.