DEFENCE giant BAE Systems employs 3,800 people on its 351-acre site in Samlesbury. But this number could increase by as much as 1,500 under vital new plans to prepare the facility for the future.

The firm gave business reporter Ben Hewes a behind-the-scenes look at what the next 15 years has in store for BAE Systems in East Lancashire - and how that will benefit the aerospace industry across the region.

BAE Systems at Samlesbury is almost a village in its own right, with five huge hangars, three runways and a mass of high-tech engineering facilities.

Nestled in the Ribble Valley off the A59, the site witnesses some of the most advanced engineering work in the country.

Among the projects being worked on by BAE Systems are the Goshawk, an advanced training jet for the US Navy, the Typhoon, the F-35 Lightning II which is the largest ever military aircraft programme, and the civilian Airbus.

And recently the firm was given a boost after securing a deal for 72 Typhoons with Saudi Arabia.

But the government's defence blueprint - the Defence Industrial Strategy - and the fact Samlesbury is one of BAE Systems' primary manufacturers, has meant the firm must look to the future.

So BAE Systems has come up with a 15-year plan, and applied to both South Ribble Council and Ribble Valley Council for outline planning permission.

The planned improvements are expected to cost hundreds of millions of pounds, and will see a new entrance created, kick-starting a project to build a number of new engineering facilities.

Dave Holmes, director of investment and strategic planning at BAE Systems, said: "Samlesbury is a world- class engineering and manufacturing site and the proposal we have developed, if implemented, will maintain the site's position at the forefront of the aerospace industry.

"Samlesbury is well positioned on both Typhoon and F-35 Lightning II programmes, however to deliver our potential workshare, particularly on F-35, we will need to invest.

"The potential development of Samlesbury could see hundreds of millions of pounds invested in the site which will help sustain and generate hundreds of jobs.

"Whilst helping BAE Systems position ourselves for the future, it will also provide excellent opportunities for the aerospace industry across the North West."

The first phase of development will be ready in early 2009 subject to approval by the local authorities and will include a new entrance, which is key to the future of the entire site.

The entrance will address traffic problems caused by the sheer number of vehicles arriving at the site every morning, by introducing a new road layout recommended by independent traffic consultants, subject to approval from the county council's highways department.

In parallel to this work, a new four-storey engineering facility for 650-700 staff will be created, primarily for the F-35 Lightning II work, and manned by staff already working at Samlesbury and its sister site at Warton, as well as new staff taken on by an on-going recruitment campaign. The second phase of work, planned for 2011, will include another 650-staff engineering facility for more F-35 Lightning II work, and an extension to the current assembly facility.

Also, a new machining centre dedicated to serving the assembly facility is also planned. Then the final phase, in 2014-2017, would see two new engineering facilities, expanding the machining centre for the F-35, another extension to the F-35 assembly facility and a new marshalling facility to receive externally-made parts arriving at the site. And key to the work has been communication with the residents who live around the site. Mr Holmes said: "Since we announced our plans regarding the potential development of our Samlesbury site, we have maintained regular communication with all our stakeholders, in particular the local residents.

"We have held two public forums at which we have openly communicated the potential development plans for the site over the next 10-15 years and provided supporting correspondence following on from those sessions.

"The forums have provided an opportunity for the residents to ask any questions and raise any issues they have regarding the plans.

"These sessions have been extremely useful to us in our planning activity and as a direct result of their feedback, suggestions to the relevant local authority have been included in our outline planning proposal.

"We have committed to maintain open and honest communications with all our stakeholders, and that is a commitment we will keep."