IPC Media group manufacturing director Jasper Scott said: "Until I know who their backers are all I can say is that it sounds wonderful, but I couldn't take it seriously."
Several theories have been forwarded regarding the identity of the backers, the most common being that they are linked to Howitt chief executive James Elliot's time in the South African printing industry.
Other theories involve backing from a major publisher, while one of the more fanciful suggestions is that Polestar and its major shareholder Investcorp are somehow involved.
Equator Print, a subsidiary of John Howitt Group, filed a planning application on Friday 11 October with Ashfield District Council.
The application - in conjunction with Miller Birch, the construction arm of home-builder Miller Group - is for a 636,000sq ft site including offices, car parking and gate house.
The application confirmed that the plant would involve the use and storage of hazardous substances, but gave no further details. Toluene is the main solvent involved in gravure printing.
Howitt could be given the go-ahead to build the plant by the end of this year.
An officer in Ashfield District Council's planning department said: "The government has set a new target to deal with applications within 13 weeks but we try to deal with them all as quickly as possible."
Story by Gordon Carson
