A former abandoned brewery in Wem will be redeveloped after city planners approved a plan for a conveyor for new workshops and offices for trucks.
The project, proposed through the corporate DR
A lorry park for 50 vehicles will also be built on the site, which will become the main base of operations for the firm when completed.
The company currently occupies several premises in the Wem commercial estate, but a plan submitted in support of the application indicates that the acquisition of the C9 unit would allow the company to consolidate its business on an “efficient” site with suitable workshops and offices.
“D.R & F.A Ford Transport founded in 1990 is an established haulage company operating across the country and are a prominent local employer employing 90 members of staff while supporting several local businesses,” it said.
“They have operated from Wem industrial estate for 21 years and having acquired Unit C9 and associated land in 2016. They wish to develop an appropriate haulage yard to allow them to park and maintain their fleet of lorries, alongside suitable offices for their team of transport managers.
“This progression will be an established company that is a long-standing local employer. “
In approving the scheme, council planners noted concern about the impact of lighting overspill onto a “well preserved” scheduled monument to the north of the site.
An ecological study also noted badger activity and several badger entries into the Array for which the proponent had changed clearing plans to take them into account.
Full permission has been granted for the development of the plan, subject to the submission of a detailed plan for a “buffer zone” around the badgers and the submission of a lighting commission for the site.