An outline planning application for a new warehouse on a section of open space off Neachells Lane is set to be considered at Planning Committee next Tuesday (25 March).
If approved the details of the plan, such as the design of public footpaths, layout, appearance, landscaping, lighting and noise mitigation measures, will be subject to extensive community engagement by the developer and scrutinised by planners under reserved matters, before any works start on site.
The land was formally a coal mine and was later used as a landfill site before becoming a public open space in the 1990s.
The indicative masterplan, submitted by Goold Estates, would see 14.5 acres retained as public open space, and a distribution warehouse, new offices, 270 parking spaces (including 14 disabled bays and 42 electric vehicle charging bays), 60 lorry parking bays, and vehicular access off Neachells Lane developed on the eastern 16.5 acres of the site near industrial land comprising the Travis Perkins builders’ yard and other commercial units.
The developer would be required to maximise the hundreds of job opportunities and apprenticeships for East Park residents, as well as make a Section 106 contribution of £150,000 for a children’s play area in the vicinity and £550,000 for improvements and facilities in East Park to compensate for the loss of nature conservation habitat and of Millennium Forest planting.
Access to the site has been considered in line with the current highways layout and the proposed gyratory improvement scheme to address congestion and safety, which was in the pipeline before the Goold Estates scheme came forward – and remains under consideration as a separate planning application.
City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Development, Jobs and Skills, said: “The proposal going to Planning Committee next week is only an outline plan, with the finer details to be determined later if it is approved.
“If the scheme gets the green light, it will deliver significant financial investment and hundreds of jobs for local people. The loss of open space and the environmental impact would also be mitigated by other gains for the East Park community.
“But make no mistake, should this outline planning application be approved by Planning Committee, there will need to be extensive community engagement by the developer to ensure the detailed plan addresses people’s concerns appropriately.”