Proposed Warehouse In St Alban’s Ward Faces Backlash Over Impact on Nearby Homes.

Residents and a former Havering councillor have opposed the redevelopment of a building merchants in St Albans, writes local democracy reporter Sebastian Mann.

Jewson has applied to demolish its existing South Street branch and replace it with a larger building as well as a ‘more formalised’ outside storage area.

The building will increase in area by some 1,413sqm – going from 1,107 to 2,520. Meanwhile, the current storage racks outside the warehouse will be amalgamated into a single covered structure.

A planning statement submitted by the chain argues the current site is no longer fit for purpose and redevelopment is necessary for the business to expand.

Jewson is one of the largest builders’ merchants in the UK and sells a range of construction materials, from timber and plasterboard to doors and paint.

The application was called in before Havering’s planning committee by former councillor Judith Holt, who lost her seat in the May elections to Reform.

The former Conservative representative said the proposed new warehouse would overlook multiple houses in Dymoke Road to “an intrusive and unacceptable level,” according to a report due before the committee next week.

Additionally, the repositioning of the collection point would mean more cars driving past the even-numbered homes in Dymoke Road, creating an “unacceptable level of noise and air pollution for residents”.

Four residents have also objected to the scheme, echoing Holt’s concerns while pointing to the potential loss of skyline for Dymoke Road and the visual impact of the warehouse’s grey façade.

Havering’s planning department has recommended the scheme for approval, but a final decision will be made by the elected strategic planning committee meeting next week.

It will be the first planning meeting chaired by the new Reform administration, which took control of the town hall in the May elections.

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