Grantham: £100M warehousing and industrial scheme promises over 1700 jobs

By The Editor 13th Aug 2021

Local News by The Editor 13th Aug 2021

A £100 Million warehousing and industrial development to the south of Grantham will come before councillors later this month.

A council report recommending approval for the scheme estimates it could create more than 1700 jobs.

Carta Real Estate (Grantham) seek to build the project on a 26.45 site at Spittlegate Level, between the A1 and the B1174 on a triangular plot, currently used for agriculture.

The outline application is for Class B2 (General Industrial) and Class B8 (Storage and Distribution) with associated Class E(g)(i) office floorspace along with necessary earthworks, landscaping and boundary treatments.

A report by SKDC planning staff says the application site forms part of the wider Grantham Southern Gateway Strategy Employment Opportunity (GR-SE1), forming just below a quarter of the wider employment

allocation. The site is bordered by a protected employment site to the north and also the permitted designer outlet retail centre to the north west, with the Spitalgate Heath Garden Village continuing to the north east of the site from the recent construction of a new roundabout and forthcoming link to a new junction on the A1. The report continued: "Access is proposed from the B1174 Tollemache Road to the east of the site. The total

proposed floorspace is up to 86,400 square metres (868,543 square feet), split between B2 nand B8 use classes.

"The build out of the site is proposed to be phased, with a phasing plan provided."

It continued: "Between the three buildings are proposed a total of 769 car parking spaces (199+170+400) and 182 HGV trailer parking spaces (47+34+101) based on a B8 use of the buildings.

"The total number of anticipated employees will vary depending on the final use split of each building between B2 and B8 uses together with ancillary Class E office space. Based on an equal split of B2 and B8 uses on the site and over a total of 86,400sqm employment floorspace, new jobs growth would equate to 1727 full time equivalent jobs."

The report said council consultation with neighbours saw no letters of representation received by SKDC.

Assessing a range of issues, planning staff said the proposal is considered to be in compliance with Local Plan Policy E1: Grantham Southern Gateway Strategy Employment Opportunity (GR-SE1).

"The site is allocated as a strategic employment site for the district, with this application comprising approx. 22% of the wider site allocation.

"The application is sited to maximise the benefits of the neighbouring GSRR 9Grantham Southern Relief Road) and new junction on the A1 to provide modern, large scale facilities of B2 and B8 employment floorspace."

The planning committee of South Kesteven District Council is due to consider the application on Thursday August 26.