Plans revealed to turn old Hucknall Sandicliffe site into large storage facility

Plans have been submitted to Ashfield District Council by Shredall EM Ltd, on behalf of Zenith Planning and Design to turn the site from a car showroom, garage and petrol station into a self storage facility, with portable storage containers and storage units on open areas of the site.

However, the application has already received several objections from residents.

And the plans have already been called in by Hucknall South councillor Lauren Mitchell (Lab) and will now be debated by the council’s planning committee.

In its application, Zenith Planning and Design said: “It is proposed to use the existing buildings for self-storage by both commercial and private customers.

"The buildings will be partitioned internally to create the individual storage cells and there will be no external changes.

"On the existing hard surfaced areas it is proposed to site portable containers for storage use.

"On the frontage site (the former petrol station) these will comprise Kuboid portable storage units arranged in three rows.

To the rear of the rear site is is proposed to site shipping containers on the existing hard surfaced areas.”

They continued: “The site has a long history of commercial use associated with the motor trade and, therefore, has in the past been subject to both considerable activity in terms of vehicle delivery and collection, and customers visiting the site, and noise from the garages at the rear of the site.

"By comparison the proposed use will generate significantly less traffic, less activity and less noise.

"It will therefore have less impact on the amenities of neighbouring residents than the previous use.

"It will not adversely affect highway safety as there is ample space for on site customer parking and for deliveries.

"The open areas at the front of the site have previously been used historically as a petrol filling station and more recently for open car sales and therefore the use for the siting of the kuboid containers will therefore be no more visually intrusive than the previous use."

Residents opposed to the plans all say their main concerns are increased traffic and noise from large lorries visiting the site, the impact on property prices and quality of life and that the site itself is not an industrial site and the plans are therefore not appropriate for the site.

One said: “I am concerned that the containers will be an eyesore – wouldn't this project be better suited in an industrial setting rather than making Portland Road look like an industrial park?

Another said: “We are worried about the increase in traffic and it is likely that there will be a lot of extra noise as a result of big containers being unloaded and loaded.”

And a third wrote: “This will also have significant detriment on the value of our property, something which is of great concern and can not be compromised.”

These proposals, should they get the green light, would also be a blow to people who want to see the new Hucknall Health Centre built on the old Sandicliffe site, rather than Piggins Croft Car Park in the town.

To comment on the proposals, click here and use planning reference V/2022/0615.