Green light recommended for major speculative logistics development

Plans for a major speculative logistics development in South Yorkshire look set to get the go-ahead later this week (9 June 2022).Panattoni has submitted a reserved matters planning application to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council for a 715,000 sq ft speculative development, Panattoni Park Rotherham.Planning permission is sought for a 630,000 sq ft facility, Panattoni’s biggest-ever speculative logistics building in the UK, and a smaller 85,000 sq ft facility by junction 1 of the M18 at Rotherham.The plans also include 490 car parking spaces, of which 99 will provide for electric charging and 25 will be provided as accessible spaces, as well as 189 spaces for HGVs and parking for 180 bicycles.The application will be considered by the council’s planning regulatory board at a meeting on 9 June and is recommended for approval, subject to conditions, in an officer’s report prepared for the meeting.The recommendation has been made despite 170 objections to the initial publicity, and a further 138 following the submission of amended plans. These included concerns over the scale of the development, potential noise and traffic issues, and loss of green belt land.The report said: “Whilst it is acknowledged that the buildings are large in terms of scale and mass, it is considered that their amended positioning within the site, proposed design and amended external finishes along with the significant bunding and landscaping are appropriate for such commercial buildings on an allocated site.”Panattoni revealed details of its plans last year with outline planning permission for the development secured in November 2020.The 40-acre Panattoni Park Rotherham is located in an established distribution location, immediately adjacent to junction 1 of the M18 and just two miles from junction 32 of the M1. Nearby occupiers include Great Bear, Clipper Logistics, DX and FedEx.The letting agents are M1 Agency, Legat Owen and Knight Frank.