Old Bushmills Distillery lodges plans for new warehouses under £69m expansion scheme

OLD Bushmills Distillery has lodged plans for an expansion of its warehouse complex were whiskey is stored while it matures.

The development, on farmland south of the village, is Phase Two of maturation facilities approved in 2018.

The Distillery says it has experienced “significant economic growth driven by global demand for Irish whiskey.”

Documents accompanying the planning application insist the firm is “delivering employment and economic opportunity in the area” and has already invested £37m in the new Causeway Distillery amid “rising sales and profits plus expansions into new market.

At present, 16 warehouses have been developed under Phase One and are in use at the site on Haw Road.

Development work on the remaining 13 warehouses is expected to conclude by the end of 2028.

The latest proposal will extend the existing 26 hectare site by another 18 hectares.

Read the full story in this week's Chronicle