A West Yorkshire city site plagued by more than a decade of failed planning bids has finally been granted outline permission for a one-million square foot warehouse development. It’s claimed the scheme could create as many as 1,500 jobs.
Commercial Development Projects (CDP), part of the Marshall Group, acquired the Gelderd Road site in the Gildersome area of Leeds in 2013. It immediately set about revising the last in a series of rejected schemes lodged by previous owners since the turn of the century.
The 70-acre site, situated close to Junction 1 of the M621 and Junction 27 of the M62 motorways, has significant “challenges” with flooding, ecology and its visual impact on neighbouring homes. At one time it housed an open cast coal mine.
CDP’s latest upgraded scheme — which will create a 500,000 sq ft distribution centre, warehousing and a mix of light and heavy industrial units — has now been given the green light by Leeds city planners.
Matthew Sheppard is a director and head of environmental impact assessment at planning consultancy Turley, which prepared the successful application. “We are delighted to have worked closely with Leeds City Council to secure this very positive resolution,” he commented.
“The site was allocated for development in 2001, but it has taken 14 years for a succession of applicants to resolve the significant technical challenges it presented.
“This site will deliver much needed new jobs over the next few years, and will also provide high quality industrial space on a build to suit basis, which is a much needed injection of modern stock in this area of the city,” added Sheppard.
He said CDP was now working on detailed infrastructure plans and intended to submit the first phase reserved matters application as soon as the formal decision notice was received. Sit work could start as early as late spring.
The Marshall Group has its roots in a 1901 building company founded Christopher Hemmingway Marshall in Elland, West Yorkshire. It is still based in Elland and the business has grown to be one of the most successful family-owned companies in the North of England.
