Military engineering firm plots Stockport expansion

Military and disaster relief engineering company WFEL has advanced plans to expand its UK base in Heaton Chapel, adding 65,000 sq ft to its existing headquarters.

The company employs 200 engineers at its site on Sir Richard Fairey Road, next to Heaton Moor golf course and off the A6, and designs and manufacturers tactical military bridging equipment for both armed forces around the world and for disaster relief efforts.

It currently has three buildings at the site but is planning to build nearly 65,000 sq ft of additional space across three units to support manufacturing a vehicle for the Ministry of Defence. Two of the new units will be used for vehicle manufacture while the third is to provide warehousing space.

As part of the proposal, an existing building of around 20,000 sq ft will be relocated, while another of just over 11,000 sq ft is to be demolished. The expansion will allow WFEL to add another 50 staff at the plot, which is allocated for employment use under Stockport’s Local Plan.

Supported by Plan:8, the engineering company submitted a planning application for the site earlier this year, and the proposals are now due to go before Stockport Council for approval. Planning officers have signalled their support for the scheme and have put forward a recommendation to grant consent at a meeting next week.