BV Dairy are a widely respected, independent milk processor based in North Dorset selling a wide range of speciality products such as soft cheese, yogurt, clotted cream and mascarpone. Operating since 1958, the company has grown steadily whilst maintaining the traditional values of a local, family run business. As a consequence of incremental development of the site, more stringent regulatory controls and higher supplier production standards, gcp Chartered Architects were appointed in early 2013 to devise a development strategy for the site. The strategy focused on improving product flow, operational efficiency and opportunities for future development.
In late 2013 gcp submitted and secured planning approval for a wide range of improvements across the site, which included simplifying vehicle movements and increasing on site HGV parking, development of new production space, dedicated storage, improvements to product flow around the dairy and provide much needed additional administrative accommodation. The first major project developed was a state of the art 1800m2 1000 pallet temperature controlled storage facility comprising of loading bays, offices, meeting rooms and an engineering workshop. The cold store was delivered following detailed planning approval secured in July 2015.
The scheme included a sustainable drainage system (SuDS) involving permeable block paving and surface water run-off from the building roof directed through a series of berms, swales and basins, allowing gradual percolation back into the soil. The building also hosts 222KW of solar PV array on the entire roof. The project opened for business at the end of 2016.
