Business park approved amid residents' concerns
SGPA business park near the M6 in Coventry has been given the go-ahead amid concerns from local people.
The 55-acre industrial site is set to be built on former green belt fields between the A444 Pickards Way and Wilsons Lane.
The approval by Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council means logistics giant Panattoni can introduce three large units and parking there, with the operation said to create about 1,000 jobs.
The plans were unanimously approved, although 90 people in a petition raised concerns about the scale and layout of the scheme.
One resident told a planning committee hearing that residents believed plans were "overdevelopment" and "unsustainable" in the location.
He asked whether conditions could be imposed so that roads were not constructed after buildings were built.
"We are not NIMBYs in Longford. We just want answers to our questions and protections put in place," he said.
Labour councillor for Longford and petition sponsor Linda Bigham said residents were concerned about an apparent change to the site's access in one of the planning documents for the project.
A council planning officer said the application did have the wrong access point, but it would be corrected before sign-off. The officer added that the plans were not considered to be overdevelopment, as they were in line with what was agreed at an earlier stage.
Bigham also asked about protection for local people during building work, and the mitigation of light pollution and noise from units.
In response, a representative from Panattoni said that the planned buildings were "significantly lower" than the maximum height allowed, and had been moved further away from homes.
He said drainage had been agreed, and the site would have landscaping to help screen it from residents.
The company added that it had taken residents' concerns on board, after holding meetings with locals and councillors.
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