Approval recommended for £80m cold storage warehouse expansion in Wolverhampton
Council planners support major upgrade at Park Lane site despite objections
Constellation Cold Logistics (CCL) is seeking approval for an £80 million upgrade to its cold storage warehouse in Wolverhampton.
The expansion would add a new 108,900 square foot cold store warehouse at CCL's Park Lane Industrial Estate site.
According to a new report, City of Wolverhampton Council's planning officers have recommended approval for the project.
This comes despite receiving ten objections from those concerned about increased congestion and pollution due to more lorries operating 24/7.
Concerns also highlighted potential parking issues in nearby residential areas.
A previous planning application, which was submitted in October last year but had been withdrawn by December, had promised an estimated £90m investment and more new jobs as part of new and extended facilities that would have tripled the site’s pallet storage to 60,000.
Now revised, the current plan proposes a facility that will double site storage capacity to 40,000 pallets and create 37 new jobs.
The report outlining that the application should be approved said: “Whilst the development would introduce a substantial building and extensions within the site, the form and function of these built elements are consistent with the established industrial character of the area.
“The relationship with nearby residential properties has been fully considered, including the built scale, proximity and the potential for visual impact.
“Having regard to separation distances, existing and proposed boundary screening, and the findings of the submitted daylight, noise and air quality assessments, the development would not result in unacceptable impacts on residential amenity, including in terms of outlook, sense of enclosure, noise or disturbance, subject to appropriate mitigation and planning conditions.”
The company has warned that if their proposal is denied, they might relocate from Wolverhampton and said with no viable site alternatives locally, such a move would cause investment and job losses, impacting the city’s economy.
The new warehouse is expected to be operational by summer 2027, contingent on approval.
City of Wolverhampton Council's planning committee will meet on 2nd June to decide on the proposal.
The importance of securing this development is echoed in CCL's application letter, emphasising the necessity of modernising ageing facilities with planned redevelopment.