Warehouse facility plan is given the go ahead

Plans for a new warehouse facility for parcel delivery company DPD have been given the green light in Washington.

Sunderland City Council’s Planning and Highways (West) Committee has approved plans for a “logistics warehouse” at the Armstrong Industrial Estate.

The site already benefited from planning permission for an industrial unit, which was approved in October 2018.

Due to changes in market conditions, new plans were lodged to develop the site solely for use as a parcel and distribution centre for DPD (UK) Group.

The site will have a total gross internal floor area of more than 5,500 square metres with warehouse facilities, a two-storey office space, staff and welfare areas and a small customer collection area.

Parking for commercial vehicles would be located to the rear with new landscaping proposed around the perimeter of the site.

A small area of the plot would also be set aside for “unspecified future development”, subject to further planning approval.

The parcel warehouse planning application from Buccleuch Property & Argon Properties was presented to city planners as an alternative to the existing planning permission on the site at Armstrong Industrial Estate.

According to planning documents, the development would use the same access proposals as the previously approved development .

The application was approved in line with the recommendation of planners and is subject to a section 106 agreement which aims to secure cash from the developer to help the council reduce impacts on ecology in the area.