Warehouse on former Green Belt land given go-ahead

A HUGE warehouse to be built on former Green Belt land on Wakefield’s northern edge has been given planning permission.

The two million square foot facility will be put up off Newmarket Lane in Stanley and will be occupied by an unnamed logistics firm.

It will be about half the size of the 42 metre high nearby Newcold warehouse, which was built in 2018 and has been criticised for being an eyesore.

In a report on the proposals, which it is claimed will create 1,500 jobs, Wakefield Council’s planning officers acknowledged the warehouse would “dominate certain local views”.

But at Thursday’s planning meeting, it was suggested that it would be a less “striking and influential” structure than the Newcold facility.

Speaking on behalf of the developers, planning agent Steve Harley said the proposals would deliver a “range of local benefits”.

He said: “There will be no unacceptable impact on amenity for local residents.

“If planning permission is given, the intention will be for work to start on site immediately, with the occupier requiring it to move into in September next year.”

Although 49 objections were lodged against the application, no-one spoke against the proposals at the meeting.

The warehouse will be built on land which was allocated for employment when planning permission was given for a new community stadium on Newmarket Lane in 2012.

That development, which would have seen Wakefield Trinity relocate from Belle Vue to the stadium, never came to fruition however.

Although concerns were also raised about the prospect of biodiversity loss at the site, council officers said the developers were contributing more than £250,000 in compensation measures.