Plans to replace former RSPCA headquarters in Southwater with new industrial buildings approved

The application from Legal & General for the site on the Oakhurst Business Park was given the nod by planning committee north on Tuesday (August 1).

The committee’s discussion was dominated by noise concerns should the site be allowed to operate 24 hours a day.

Those concerns were shared by Southwater Parish Council and a handful of residents who registered objections with the council.

Claire Vickers, chairman of the parish council’s planning committee, said: “The main concerns relates to the impact of HGVs delivering to the site during the night, which would travel along Blakes Farm Road, past residential properties at Martindales which are set only 20 metres back from the road.

“These HGVs produce a significant amount of noise and would certainly disrupt sleep of residents there.”

A number of the committee were concerned that allowing the new development to operate 24/7 would ‘open the floodgates’ to other applications wanting to do the same.

But others were impressed with the economic benefits of the new build.

Ruth Fletcher (Lib Dem, Denne) said: “As a district we’re always looking for more economic development and this is the type of unit that people want and will enable small and medium businesses to grow and thrive.”

In the end, a compromise was reached.

The application was approved but the site will only be open for deliveries between 7am and 8pm Monday to Friday, 7am-6pm on Saturdays with none on Sundays or Bank Holidays. Work inside the buildings will be allowed to run 24/7.