New £20m glasshouse to grow 150m tomatoes a year

A large glasshouse complex is set to build a seventh structure, adding 6.5 hectares (16 acres) of growing space for 150 million extra tomatoes a year.

Thanet Earth in Birchington, Kent, has begun work on £20 million plans for further growing space, taking its total area to over 50 hectares (124 acres).

The new glasshouse, the last approved for the site under its current planning permission, is aimed to be "planting-ready" by November.

Chris Butler, managing director of Thanet Earth, says the glasshouse is a "significant milestone" for the site and "strengthens our capacity to grow more fresh produce".

The new glasshouse will take the growing capacity for Thanet Earth, which was first built in 2009, up to about 550 million tomatoes, 33 million cucumbers and 24 million peppers each year.

A specifically reinforced gable will make the new glasshouse more wind resistant and will be protected by a new line of trees which will also minimize the visual impact of the project, a Thanet Earth spokesperson said.

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