Upgrade for Shell centre

The Royal Dutch/Shell Group has announced plans for a œ70 million expansion and upgrade of existing oil research and development facilities at Thornton Research Centre in Ellesmere Port. Shell has submitted a planning application and hopes to start work on the first phase this summer.

The project will be phased over seven years. The first phase will house 140 scientists from Shell's Kent crop-protection research laboratory in Sittingbourne which will be closed down.

The five existing laboratory wings are to be linked together. A new product development and testing centre will be built, along with an amenities and visitor centre.