Hundreds of long-awaited jobs may finally be created at a storage site south of Grantham.

Councillors have today approved amended plans for a major warehouse project at Easton on the former Christian Salveson site on Burton Lane.

A £67.1M scheme had been approved by South Kesteven District Council in 2018, but despite claimed urgency at the time from the applicant, the project was never built.

The development promised to create 300 jobs, plus a further 230 construction jobs during the two years it will be built, and this remained a factor in councillor's approval today.

However, the project was opposed by the nearby Easton Walled Gardens, who feared the impact the new 23,648M2 warehouse might have on its business.

They noted the new building would be some 21M taller than existing storage facilities on the site, which might deter custom to the gardens.

The site of the planned warehouse is currently unused hardstanding area and existing store, which was used as a cold store until it was destroyed by fire in 2013.

The 4ha brownfield site is part of the larger existing 10.7ha XPO Logistics site, which employs 250, with 300 others further employed at nearby McCain Foods, which uses some of the XPO storage space.

The planning committee of South Kesteven District Council heard from planning staff that the revised scheme presented today had 'improvements' to the one approved in 2018 due to a slightly different layout.

A changed layout would see less visual impact due to buildings being closer together changed entry arrangements would reduce impact on Burton Lane.

The revised scheme would also include further signage to promote Easton Walled Gardens, and it would include a local employment plan.

Sophie Watkin, for the applicant, Easton Stores Properties LLP, said the principle of the scheme was agreed in 2018 and the changed layout was to improve site efficiency.

The impact would be the same or less than what has been approved. Some 300 jobs would be created by the scheme, with 250 further jobs during its construction.

"We expect to be on site later this year, with the site up and running in 2023," she added.

However, Coun Phil Dilks (Ind-Deeping St James) recalled how the original application was approved under urgency by council planning staff in 2018, without coming before planning committee. Yet it wasn't built.

Ms Watkin said the scheme was approved under the council's 'delegation' rules at the time.

Coun Dilks further noted the scheme might deliver the biggest building in South Kesteven and maybe the biggest coldstore in the country, but accepting it was large, SKDC planning staff could not verify if this would be the case.

After Coun Dilks further pushed on why the original scheme did not come before committee, current planning committee chairman Bob Adams, who is ward councillor for the site, confirmed that the overseas owners of the site had demanded a quick decision, otherwise the development and the jobs would be transferred elsewhere.

"There was nothing untoward. It was the urgency put on us by the foreign owner. They needed an answer then or they would move the site to another part of the country."

"In the interest of saving jobs and with the potential of creating jobs, in discussions with InvestSK, it did receive that support.

"At that time, it was the right thing to do. I would support the application, the then chair of the committee and the then council leader, they took to endeavour to save 200 jobs and the potential for 300 more."

Coun Dilks then said though a move by him to have all 'large' applications be determined by planning committee, was initially refused by council, he was pleased it later became council policy.

Coun Adams (Con- Isaac Newton) then confirmed any further variations of the 2018 approval would come before the committee.

Just before members overwhelmingly voted the back the revised scheme, former Grantham Mayor Ian Selby recalled working at the site.

"From a jobs perspective, it would be absolutely wonderful for the local economy."

Earlier, Coun Helen Crawford 9Con- Bourne West) agreed the scheme would bring much needed jobs to the area.

"It's a positive. We need the jobs. That building has already been approved."

In the vote, Councillors Phil Dilks and David Bellamy (Con- Isaac Newton) abstained.