Plans for a new large-scale business complex, including a warehouse and company headquarters at Stone Business Park have been approved.
Full planning permission was given for the development on a 7.2ha site that was formerly home to NatWest bank’s data centre which has recently been demolished.
The new development will include office space, a gatehouse, a service yard and staff car parking. There will also be a new entrance to the site from Brooms Road for HGVs.
The new building will be 21.5m high, which is around 7m higher than the building that previously occupied the site.
The plans include a warehouse which would have a floor space of 29,980 sqm, and offices spread across three floors which would have a total floor area of 1,782 sqm.
The new HGV entrance and gate house will handle traffic entering the compound’s service yard, providing access to 28 loading bays and space to park up to 70 trailers.
The existing access from Brooms Road will be used as the entrance to a staff parking area, which will provide a total of 312 car parking spaces and 100 bicycle spaces. With the developer committing to install 16 electric vehicle chargers.
An officers report stated:
“The site is located within Stone Business Park, which is allocated as a protected employment area within the settlement of Stone.
“The previous data centre has recently been demolished, and the proposal would redevelop this brownfield site with a modern employment facility.
“The proposed B2/B8 use is considered to be wholly appropriate within this location.
“It is also noted that this site, due to its location adjacent to the A34, has good transport links which are essential for such uses.”
The council’s enterprise growth manager supported the proposals and advised that the development would provide around 500 new jobs when the site is operational.
They also advised the development would represent a £50m investment into the borough and added that there is currently a demand for logistics units.
Councillors at the Stafford Borough Council’s planning meeting enquired as to the nature of the jobs – and questioned whether a move to robotics might make mean these numbers were reduced over time.
The applicant said that although they’ve not confirmed a tenant for the facility yet, any potential jobs are likely to be highly skilled and that their research indicated robot-operated facilities required more staff than human-operated warehouses.
There was also a concern about nearby roads being used for overflow parking or by staff who didn’t want to get stuck in traffic jams exiting the site, with Councillor Jill Hood saying:
“I just hope that when we have people come in that common sense is used and the employees are begged to park on the estate where they are – otherwise we’re going to be in a real mess in Stone with another possible 700 cars on the road.”
Despite these concerns, she said she welcomed the development and the investment it would bring into the area.
The applicant, PLP, is a specialist logistics and industrial property business.
The firm was founded in 2015 and confirmed the site, to be named PLP Stafford, could be ready by the summer of 2023.
They said they are in early negotiations with companies who may move into the site when it’s complete and that it would be specced out to their requirements.
The company’s development director Keith Wilson told councillors the company was keen to invest in Stafford due to strong occupier demand.
He said the project would include a number of green measures, enabling it to operate as a carbon-neutral facility.
These include an all-elec air source heating system, LED lighting, electric vehicle charging, and readiness for solar panels across the entire roof.
He said they would also provide a range of cycle parking and shower facilities to help encourage sustainable travel.
The scheme will also include a number of off-site mitigations, which it is hoped will bring about a 10% net gain in biodiversity through specialist wildlife habitats.
4 comments
Stella James
A complete and utter eyesore. Way too big ! I’m disgusted that plans and building have been approved by Stone Council for this Monstrosity! I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t think the same.
A massive blot on the landscape.
Stella James
A complete and utter eyesore! Way too big . Absolutely horrible. I’m disgusted that Stone council saw fit to allow plans and building of this monstrosity! Everyone I’ve spoken to thinks it’s a total blot on the landscape.
Tom Petty
North Stafford is coming along nicely….
What an absolute stain on this town.
Aidan Coleman
It’s a monstrosity, never seen anything like it in a small township. An eyesore if ever you saw one. Whoever agreed to pass this at the town hall needs to have another look and see what they have done to the local community. A blight on the skyline and can be seen for miles. It’s ginormous, it’s huge.