Toothpaste factory demolition plan gets go-ahead

A plan to demolish a former toothpaste and mouthwash factory and replace it with three smaller industrial units has been approved.

The site in Norreys Drive, Maidenhead, was previously used by Haleon, whose brands include Sensodyne, Centrum vitamins and Panadol painkillers.

It announced in April 2024 that it would cut 435 jobs and move out of the 1950s unit. It moved out for a final time in March.

Developer Firethorn said it hoped that about 530 people would work at the site when it was brought back into use.

Nathan Best, from Firethorn, told Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead councillors the company saw "redevelopment as an opportunity to bring it back to productive economic use and generate high-quality, long-term local employment for decades to come".

The councillors approved the application at a meeting on Thursday.

Haleon said in 2024 that the site was "no longer a viable option" following a strategic review.

At the time, a spokesperson said the move was "an important step on Haleon's journey to creating a more agile, effective consumer health organisation", ahead of some manufacturing moving to Slovakia.