Levenseat's Polmont waste plant gets £1m grant as 50 new jobs created

Recycling and waste management business Levenseat bought the Lathallan advanced waste treatment facility in Polmont last year and have already invested £4 million to modernise the site.

This week its new materials recycling facility (MRF) was officially opened by Wellbeing Economy & Fair Work Secretary Neil Gray

News of the additional jobs coincided with the announcement of the Low Carbon Manufacturing Challenge Fund grant of £962,968 from Scottish Enterprise to support the on-going refurbishment of the site. The grant will support the modernisation programme with the additional funding going towards the introduction of new technologies and automated processes.

The new MRF will process up to 200,000 tonnes of waste per year, almost doubling Levenseat’s current sorting line capacity, enabling the company to expand its business across central Scotland.

The new Lathallan facility, which currently processes bulky waste from a number of local authorities including Falkirk Council, will work in tandem with the main Levenseat site in West Lothian offering a wide range of services including mixed waste and organic recycling, industrial waste, aggregate recovery and energy from waste treatment.

Speaking at the opening of the MRF, Wellbeing Economy & Fair Work Secretary Neil Gray said: “As part of a collaborative way of working, we want to ensure businesses receive the support they need to deliver the step change required in Scottish industry to reduce emissions and support our journey to a greener, fairer wellbeing economy.

“I am pleased that support from the Low Carbon Manufacturing Challenge Fund has enabled Levenseat Ltd to develop and expand its innovative recycling facility in Polmont, creating good green jobs and supporting our net zero journey.”

Angus Hamilton, Levenseat managing director, said: “We are delighted with the additional financial support from the Low Carbon Manufacturing Challenge Fund which will augment our investment into modernising our Lathallan facility.

“Our investment into this facility is a core part of our ambitious strategy to utilise innovation to maximise capacity, further support customers’ recycling objectives, and play a key role in Scotland’s circular economy. This approach brings environmental as well as economic benefits with new, skilled jobs being created on this site.”

Administered by Scottish Enterprise, the Low Carbon Manufacturing Challenge Fund is designed to help companies develop or adopt low carbon products, processes or services that contribute towards Scotland’s net zero targets. The Fund is part of Making Scotland’s Future, a partnership between the Scottish Government, public agencies, industry and academia, that aims to secure a strong, sustainable future for the country’s manufacturing industry.

Rhona Allison, managing director for Business Growth at Scottish Enterprise, said: “The grant supports major capital investment by Levenseat in the green economy, helping the company grow its business, create jobs, keep pace with innovations in recycling technology that enable the maximum amount of resources to be created from waste, and increase productivity. It’s a great example of what the Low Carbon Manufacturing Challenge Fund was designed to encourage.”

Jim Wales, relationship manager strategic finance at Virgin Money, said: “Levenseat is an exciting business with clear ambitions for future growth. We were delighted to support them with the initial purchase of the Lathallan facility via one of Virgin Money’s Sustainability Linked Loans and look forward to continuing working closely with them as they invest to grow efficiency and create new jobs with their environmentally-friendly approach.”