A MULTI-MILLION pound new Aero plant was being opened today at Nestlé's York factory.

The plant has been built on the northern part of the site as part of a £20 million investment intended to safeguard the long-term employment of staff.

Aero production has moved out of older buildings on the southern part of the site, an area which is set to be re-developed with offices, retail outlets and new homes as part of a massive factory re-structuring operation.

The new factory building was being officially opened by Paul Grimwood, managing director of Nestlé Confectionery (UK) and Luis Cantarell, executive vice president and director of zone Europe.

Among those attending the opening were York MP Hugh Bayley, who hailed the new plant as an "investment in the future" which ensured York remained the European production centre for a key brand.

He said: "It's very important that Nestlé are investing in the York site. They have made it clear that they have a long-term commitment to York."

He argued that if jobs were to stay in the city, it was essential to ensure that the factory had the productivity that came from high levels of investment in the most up-to-date technology.

Plans for the new Aero plant were unveiled in the autumn of 2006, at the same time as Nestlé revealed that 645 staff were to be made redundant as part of the re-structuring and also revealed that production of several iconic brands, including Smarties, was to move abroad.

Production of four other key confectionery brands - KitKats, Milky Bars, Polos and Yorkies - also remains on the York site.

York councillors granted planning permission for the new Aero plant in December 2007. The Press reported then that the application for a 4,400 sq m extension to the KitKat5 building would involve installing new Aero bar moulding equipment.

The Aero plant's opening comes only days after Nestlé launched a major recruitment drive. It said in an advert in The Press that opportunities existed across the factory for operators, line operators, process operators and line technicians.

It said it needed people with the right skills and attitude to ensure York became the "most effective and efficient factory in the Nestlé family."