A Christchurch company that planned to move to an out of town location with its site replaced by 170 homes is set to stay put.

Structural steel firm John Reid & Sons Ltd (REIDsteel) has announced multi-million plans for a new manufacturing facility, along with offices.

The scheme is proposed for REIDsteel’s home of more than 50 years in Reid Street and an adjacent site formerly occupied by Peeks Party Store and Monkey Madness soft play centre.

The company, which has an annual turnover of £30m and employs more than 130 people, has now launched a consultation programme.

It’s seeking the views of the community and other stakeholders before submitting a planning application.

Simon Boyd, Managing Director, pictured left, said: “As a local business of many years’ standing, our heart is in Christchurch.

“Our exciting proposals represent a multi-million-pound investment in the town and the local economy while safeguarding the future of our business for many years to come.

“We are keen to hear views about our scheme, with more details available on a dedicated website.

“They matter to us and will inform our plans moving forward.”

REIDsteel previously gained planning permission for 170 homes on its site so it could relocate outside of the town centre.

Its directors decided to revisit the scheme when the opportunity became available to remain in the town with space to reconfigure and keep its operations under one roof.

The proposals include construction of the new factory and offices with access on to Reid Street.

The majority of existing buildings on the site would be demolished.

Simon said: “The layout of our current site leads to inefficiencies which reduce our competitiveness, hampering our ability to grow the business.

“Redevelopment would bring multiple manufacturing processes into a single, automated production line under one roof, including steel delivery and unloading.

“This would give us a safer working environment, more control and the ability to implement new technology to improve productivity.

“It would improve the local environment by cutting down on noisy outdoor handling operations and reducing interruptions to traffic flow on Fairmile caused by restricted access to our existing stockyard.

“The redevelopment would allow us to continue our growth trajectory and bring greater employment to the Christchurch area with more high-skilled jobs.”

REIDsteel designs, manufactures and builds many kinds of steel framed structures, including cladding and glazing, across the UK, Europe and the world.

They include aircraft hangars, bridges, sports stadia, factories, churches, industrial and commercial buildings and hurricane resistant structures.

To date it has exported to more than 140 countries.

The company, which was founded in 1919 by Colonel John Reid, contributes more than £2m to the local supply chain.

REIDsteel will submit a planning application with BCP Council after its consultation programme ends on Friday July 23.