Plans for two more industrial units, to be built on an area of open space off Solihull Parkway, were given the nod by the planning committee just before Christmas.
Although several members had asked for reassurance about the height of the structures and the likely noise, after being reminded of the controversy which surrounded a previous application in Blackfirs Lane.
The council's handling of the earlier warehouse development, a short distance away, had been fiercely criticised by residents. In total, more than 100 complaints were made in the space of 12 months.
Coun Bob Sleigh, Leader of the Council and a Bickenhill ward councillor, had touched on the issue when addressing the committee.
"I'm not here to re-run history but I am here to ask that we don't repeat history with this application," he said. "There are some legitimate questions that I hope the committee will address."
Apart from a plea "to be sure" of the height of the buildings, he said that fears about noise and vibration also needed to be taken into consideration.
"I think we do have concerns with industrial processes of this type and I think this is fairly heavy industry."
Clive Hill, from Bickenhill and Marston Green Parish Council, also spoke at the decision session, highlighting some anxiety about the increasing industrial activity at the Business Park site.
Michael Graham, an architect who spoke on behalf of the applicant, the Black Rock Property Fund, said the plans represented a significant inward investment.
And he confirmed that one of the units would be occupied by the international engineering outfit Sulzer, who have outgrown their current Birmingham base and were looking to move to more modern premises.
The plans received unanimous approval, although the committee agreed conditions to ensure that noise levels didn't exceed a certain level and that the height of the units did not go beyond the 14 and 15 metres stated in the application.
No comments:
Post a Comment