Another bid to legalise 3,000sq ft warehouse near Oswestry

Over the summer Powys County Council’s planning department investigated the development which is a 3,000 square foot warehouse, built in a rural location at Penrhos Farm between Arddleen and Llanymynech.

Residents living nearby had sent many letters to Powys County Council drawing their attention to the development and expecting enforcement action to be taken.

That application over the summer has been refused as had one earlier in the year, but now two new ones have been submitted with all the developments separated between two applications.

As well as the application dealing with the demolition of agricultural buildings and building the warehouse, James Owen also has a separate application to change the type of use of other farm buildings and the new gates and associated works.

This has already been objected to by Llandrinio and Arddleen Community Council on the grounds that this type of development should be on an industrial estate.

Jobs

Agents, Roger Parry and Partners, have prepared a Design and Access Statement (DAS) on behalf of owner James Owen and stress the economic aspect of the warehouses.

They said: “Mr Owen proposes to apply for retrospective planning permission for the destruction of two dated agricultural buildings with the replacement of a steel portal frame building at Penrhos Farm.”

The statement claims that this development will create 10 more jobs there.

The DAS continues: “Mr Owen is the founder and managing director of an online retailer employing some 14 members in the local community with a further four vacancies advertised.

“In a recent acquisition Mr Owen purchased an agricultural property in Penrhos with a large footprint of redundant buildings, having extensively renovated and replaced these to make them suitable for the business requirements.

“Mr Owen is now in the process of seeking retrospective planning permission and is hopeful the locals and council will recognise the potential and benefits they can offer to the local community.

“Mr Owen previously operated from five sites across the county, it was becoming an impossible task to manage.”

Responsibility

James Owen added: “I owe everything to the people who work within my business, the team we have built is our most valued asset.

“It is my responsibility to maintain stability and provide a platform for growth and security.”

Mr Owen goes on to say that building at Penrhos was his only “viable” option as he had exhausted his search for suitable buildings or development land.

Victoria Colbatch-Clark, who lives close to the development, said: “Nothing has changed with the application. There is a question whether we need to submit our objections again or will be carried over from the previous applications?

“With the changes to the planning website, it’s difficult to keep track."

By Elgan Hearn, local democracy reporter