PLANNERS are backing the expansion of a York business park by supporting the conversion of three empty farm buildings.

Alastair Gill of Northminster Business Park seeks to change the use of the buildings to industrial, storage, distribution and office uses and create a parking area.

His application, submitted earlier this year, is due to be determined by next Wednesday’s meeting of City of York Council’s Planning Committee B. In it, he argued his scheme would bring much-needed employment premises to York.

The 0.9ha site, to the north-west of Moor Lane, forms part of Oakwood Farm, Northfield Lane, Upper Poppleton. It is classed as Green Belt land, despite its employment allocation in the draft Local Plan.

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A report by council planning staff says the buildings received planning approval in 2010, 2004 and 2001. Mr Gill seeks to give their concrete broads a metal sheeting cover to fit in better with the nearby DPD depot.

The application is coming before the planning committee since the 1,931m2 of buildings are considered large enough. It was also ‘called in’ by Rural West York city councillor Anne Hook, though her request was outside the timeframe for this.

Rufforth with Knapton Parish Council has told the city council it does not object in principle to the scheme but it has some major concerns.

The parish council noted the site is on Green Belt Land and it fears a change of use could create a precedent and let Northminster Business Park encroach onto this green belt land.

Further extensions of the buildings should not be allowed and it had concerns over the “intrusive nature of any proposed lighting.”

Upper Poppleton Parish Council objected, saying the scheme would generate extra traffic, and the change of use is not in line with government Green Belt policy.

A petition of 11 objections feared the lighting impacts, a loss of wildlife, and the ‘creeping expansion’ of Northminster Business Park. The petition said the city council “wrongly allowed the development of DPD depot which has led to increase in traffic, noise concerns and deteriorating road surface.”

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Cllr Hook said several planning applications had gone ahead in the area, with their large vehicles “causing great distress to nearby residents.”

Assessing the application, council planning staff said despite its current Green Belt status, the site has been allocated for employment. Converting the buildings was appropriate development but the external works were ‘harmful by definition’. But the ‘very special circumstances’ of the scheme clearly outweighed any harm to the Green Belt.

“Matters such as design, landscaping, amenity, biodiversity, trees, drainage, sustainability, contamination, waste, access and parking are adequately addressed either within the plans or via a specific condition.”

Despite recommending approval, since part of the development is considered ‘inappropriate’ the planners also suggested the Secretary of State make the final decision.