600 JOBS AS WAREHOUSES ARE APPROVED

UP to 600 jobs will be created after a large industrial estate was given the go ahead next to a 2,500-home development.

Nurton Developments (Quintus) Ltd has secured permission from East Staffordshire Borough Council’s planning committee to build three industrial units on 14 acres near the Trent and Mersey Canal in Burton.

It will be located next to the Branston Locks housing development, where thousands of new homes are being built. Peter Leaver spoke on behalf of the applicant to the committee and told councillors once the site was fully occupied the units would house up to 600 employees.

He added that large firm Werner UK Sales and Distribution Ltd has already signed up to move into one of the buildings as it was seeking to double its footprint in the town.

He said: “There are no issues to highway safety. Each occupier will be required to provide a travel plan to reduce car use. This will be a significant investment in the town and more economic growth in Burton.”

Committee member Greg Hall welcomed the plans but raised concerns about the number of parking spaces proposed.

He said: “The 600 employees are very welcome but with the 220 parking spaces - do you have sight on how employees would get to and from the site?”

The council’s principle licensing officer Barbara Toy said: “The car park complies with parking standards and there is a pedestrian link from site over the canal and to local centre. There will also be 2,500 homes nearby so hopefully some employees were live there so can walk.”

The three units will be built as part of its first phase of the development.

The site, bordered to the west by the A38, is currently green field land.

The plan was a reserved matters application which means the council has already agreed to the scheme in principle, with this latest application being more detailed and concerning matters such as access, landscaping, layout and scale.