Basildon company to appeal to Secretary of State (From Echo)

Basildon company to appeal to Secretary of State

10:00pm Thursday 28th February 2013 in Local News By Luke Lambert

A PACKAGING manufacturer is appealing to the Secretary of State after an application to build a new warehouse was rejected.

Shalam UK, who are based at the Bentalls Industrial Estate, Basildon, applied to build a 31m high warehouse - which would have doubled the company’s size and created 60 new jobs - but it was turned down at a behind closed doors meeting by Basildon Council’s planning officers.

Now the firm has appealed against the refusal of planning permission to Eric Pickles, the communities and local government secretary.

Steven Burrow, operations director at the multi-million pound company, said: “We were very disappointed when the plans were turned down as it left us a step behind the competition. We have decided to appeal and feel well within our rights to do so. We are surrounded by like buildings and I was very surprised to hear that a building could be too high in the middle of an industrial estate.”

Basildon Council said the building would appear out of scale, would not be in context with the adjoining development and would have a negative effect on the visual amenities of the location.

Mike Washbourne, director of Washbourne Field Planning, a consultancy hired by the firm, added: “I was shocked by the decision and firmly believe the application should have been approved. The appeal we have made is the subject of a hearing and although a date is not yet known I expect is to be towards the end of April."