Jobs are to be created after expansion plans by an award-winning cheesemaker in Whitchurch were given the go-ahead.

Bosses at Belton Cheese want to extend their existing factory and build a number of towers in a bid to modernise cheese production.

The plans, which were granted approval under delegated powers by Shropshire Council, also include the construction of five silos to maximise production capacity. The move is set to create four jobs.

Initial plans to expand the site were approved by unitary authority planners in October 2010, but bosses at the firm now believe extending the factory further will speed up production and make it more energy-efficient.

A design statement for Belton Cheese said: “After further consultation on the proposed cheese equipment and production methods, Belton has concluded that a more modern method of production is preferable.

“The tower system has the advantage of being a hermetically sealed process, so less likely to lead to contamination, and it is more automated, so speeding up the production.”

A report on behalf of Shropshire Council said: “The proposed development is appropriate in its design and scale for both its intended use and within its context.”