INTERNATIONAL buyers are expected to be online later this month as the contents of a redundant Wisbech factory are put up for sale.

More than 600 items – mostly from the former Greenvale factory in Boleness Road - have been put into the auction catalogue which has attracted massive interest.

A spokesman for auctioneers Clarke Fussells said: “This is probably one of the largest, most flexible plants to come to the market for many years.

“It is an extremely modern, versatile food processing plant which has recently received investment of �millions.”

Greenvale closed the plant last year “due to tough trading conditions within the potato processing sector”.

The board decided it was “not sustainable to continue operating at current levels” at Wisbech. With no foreseeable upturn the directors said they had no option but to close the site and transfer the work elsewhere.

Ironically, whilst Greenvale prepare for a massive sell off, its planning application to expand its Floods Ferry Road, Doddington, site has been discussed by Fenland councillors.

Planning chiefs expect a net increase of 7,100 two-way movements a year along the single carriageway access road but feel the variable timings will dilute the impact.

The parish council, however, disagrees and believe traffic levels will be unacceptable.

The decision will be made on Wednesday – a week prior to the auction of the Wisbech site at Elme Hall Hotel.

The auction has been timed to start at 11am and Clarke Fussells is predicting widespread international interest as buyers bid through the live website portal, www.bidspotter.com

Items for sale include Herbert 2400 grading lines feeding into hoppers, storage silos, onion grading lines, filters, Stein batter mixers, salad washers, and salad driers.