JD Sports warehouse and distribution centre to be extended

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JD Sports, Michael Faraday Avenue, Rochdale

Permission to extend the JD Sports warehouse and distribution centre on Kingsway Business Park has been granted, despite objections from local residents.

Approved at the Planning & Licensing Committee meeting on Monday 5 December, the existing building will be extended to include four mezzanine floors and ancillary office areas, together with additional car parking and servicing, alterations to existing car park, new access points, fencing and associated landscaping.

A further section of the loop road (Michael Faraday Avenue) will be constructed along the south-eastern boundary of the site, to provide vehicular access to the site for both cars and HGVs. On completion of the extension, HGVs and staff cars would enter the site via separate gated access points off the new section of loop road to the south-east. Both HGVs and staff cars would leave the site to the northwestern end, leaving via separate points of egress onto Michael Faraday Avenue. HGV loading would take place from a proposed new service yard to the south-west of the extension, with additional car and cycle parking for staff provided to the north-west of the building.

Residents who live in the new homes on the estate are concerned about the increase in traffic from the site, which they say willl cause congestion and be a risk to residential traffic and safety of children.

One objector said: "The applicant has not fully addressed concerns regarding traffic along Michael Faraday Avenue and the public nuisance that the current arrangement has created.

"The 'Transport Statement Addendum' only considers the change in trips for the employee car park and lorry parking. It rightly points out that with the addition of a one-way system for both sections this should result in lower final traffic flows for each of these along Michael Faraday Avenue. However, the total number of one-way vehicle trips may increase because employees and contractors who are dropped off in private cars or taxis result in four one-way vehicle trips (as opposed to two trips for employees that park in the car park).

Others objected on the grounds of "noise and sleep disturbance caused by passing traffic, staff and people picking up/dropping off during the night and early morning seven days a week, reving engines and taxis beeping horns, lorries parking behind houses on Carr Close".

Council officers had recommended approval to the committee saying; "The proposed extension to the existing distribution warehouse and associated development lies wholly within the area identified as Kingsway Business Park in the adopted Rochdale UDP and is therefore acceptable in principle." 

Councillor Billy Sheerin, a member of the committe, said: “Letters were sent out to all residents about the proposed extension of the JD warehouse and residents have now got a point of contact at JD for any concerns they have about the site.”

Councillor Lynne Brosnan said: "This particular development wouldn't have been my choice for the entrance to Kingsway. It should have been further into the park. However it is there now.

"I do welcome more employment opportunities for local people.

"We will have to be mindful of any traffic problems for local residents and address them if they arise."

All other two Kingsway councillors, Shakil Ahmed and Daalat Ali, did not respond to an invitation to comment.