FURTHER expansion at the award-winning Bushmills Distillery is expected to receive planning approval next week.
The proposals for a new distillery facility, which includes a boiler house, cooling equipment and barrel store, is recommended to receive planning permission at the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council's planning committee meeting on April 17.
A separate application, directly linked to the development, which seeks permission for the storage of over 70,000 tonnes of hazardous substances is also recommended for approval.
The application site consists of an area of flat vacant land behind the existing main distillery and is not open to the public. The new building, which is to be split up into multiple elements, is set to be 16m at its highest point.
In the council planning report, published ahead of next week's meeting, the proposed development is considered "an appropriate use of the land and is acceptable in terms of its layout and appearance". Both applications are recommended for planning approval.
The latest plans come less than a year after Bushmills was granted planning permission for 29 new maturation warehouses at the Distillery Road site.
The multi-million pound development was given the green light last August.
Previously part of the Diageo brand, the Co Antrim whiskey maker was acquired in 2014 by Jose Cuervo for almost £500 million. The deal was part of a major 'swap' between the two firms, which saw Guinness owner Diageo offload Bushmills, but gain control of tequila brand Don Julio.
In its latest accounts, published in October The Old Bushmills Distillery Company reported a 14 per cent increase in turnover from £27.8m to £31.6m in the year ending December 31 2017.
The business also reported pre-tax profit just shy of £7m, while almost £100m of worth of whiskey is currently maturing in casks at the distillery, according to the accounts.
