Giant former Superdrug warehouse in South Elmsall to get revamp
The site was one of the area’s biggest employers for more than 35 years until Superdrug’s lease expired last year.
Plans to refurbish Superdrug’s former warehouse in South Elmsall have been given the go-ahead.
Wakefield Council approved a scheme designed to enable a new business to move into the 296,500 sq ft premises after the high street retailer shut down its distribution centre last December.
The site was one of the area’s biggest employers for more than 35 years until Superdrug’s lease expired last year.
The warehouse is within an 18-acre site, which the company occupied soon after it was built at Dale Lane Industrial Estate in the early 1990s.
In February, site owner Arrow Capital Partners submitted an application to upgrade the property to allow for “the continued use of the site for employment purposes.”
The scheme includes an external refurbishment of the building, along with new fencing, gates and parking spaces.
A planning statement prepared on behalf of the applicant said: “The application is submitted following the vacation of the unit by the former tenant, Superdrug Stores PLC.
“The application is for part of a series of works that will refurbish the unit and bring it up to modern occupational standards with the aim of securing a new tenant
“As the proposed works are minor in the context of the existing site and development, we consider that the application is non-contentious and should be approved at the first available opportunity.
A council planning officer’s report said: “The proposals would enable the applicant to invest, adapt and modernise their existing site with the aim of securing a new tenant and longevity of the site for employment use.
“The proposed development is considered to comply with all relevant national and local planning policy and guidance.”
Superdrug announced last year that it would close the South Elmsall site, where some staff members had worked for decades, resulting in the loss of around 350 jobs.
The company said it planned to consolidate its distribution operations at its warehouse in Bedfordshire and would boost its presence with 25 new stores and 600 new jobs across the UK.
At the time, Jon Trickett, MP for Normanton and Hemsworth, called on the company to reverse the decision.
He said: “Superdrug’s justification for the closure is that it is part of a plan to ‘evolve’ their supply chain, with the aim of improving efficiency and expanding customer access.
“But these corporate platitudes mask the devastating impact this decision will have on real people, real families, and an entire community.”