Redevelopment of a Grainstore and Distribution Centre

Location

Project summary

• Following the merger of a local grain store company with Frontier Agriculture, a national operator, plans were proposed for modernisation and investment in the large central grain storage and dispatch facility at Wingham. A detailed planning application was prepared to incorporate significant rebuilding and reorganisation of the 9.5ha site

Solution

• The Planning Team worked closely with specialist architects to provide a comprehensive suit of drawings to clearly show the proposed scheme and transitional arrangements to allow continued operation during construction. Pre-application discussions were held with the highways authority and Parish Council to address existing HGV concerns, which resulted in lorry routing agreements to avoid narrow routes through the nearby village. The site, unusually, contained included five dwellings and a country store. The proposal included clear traffic segregation to significantly improve health and safety.
• Landscaping was a key consideration due to an expansion of HGV parking as well as the fall silos and buildings proposed. The expansion of existing planting was incorporated and the containment of new of structures within the existing footprint minimised visual impact.

Benefits

• The application was grated under delegated powers with full local support. A subsequent solar park adjacent to the site was then taken forward and the Planning Team assisted in its delivery to meet strict installation deadlines and provide sustainable energy to the new grainstore site.