Concerns over 'right use' of Stubbings compound for industrial storage

An application for retrospective planning permission to change the use of a Stubbings compound to an industrial storage and distribution facility has been met with health and safety objections.

Stubbings Estate wants to change the use of part of its existing lawful hardstanding on a parcel of land adjoining the main entrance and driveway to the estate on Stubbings Lane.

Neighbours said they have noticed large articulated lorries ‘thundering’ up Henley Road and turning ‘precariously’ in and out of the compound over the past year, and HGVs parked on-site – prompting a number of written objections in the RBWM planning portal.

Concerned teachers from the nearby Beech Lodge School submitted written objections outlining the ‘serious risk’ to pupils, parents and staff who regularly use the same access route.

“We are concerned that these huge lorries bearing the weight of plant machinery may pose a very real threat to the safety of our community,” wrote headteacher Daniel Gillespie on behalf of school directors.

“The entrance to the compound is very narrow and is on a camber right at the junction of Henley Rd and Stubbings Lane, and we are aware that local residents have witnessed these lorries becoming dangerously close to shedding their 30 tonne plus load as they navigate the entrance.”

He said the compound was not the ‘right use’ for the storage facility and would be better placed away from the school community.

“We often take our children out of the school grounds by foot, bike and by car/minibus to experience learning beyond the classroom, and if this planning permission were to go through, there would be significant concern around their safety, which would then limit the experiences we are safely able to offer our students,” wrote teaching and learning lead Emma MacDonald.

“All in all, this is too much of a risky decision and will have serious implications.”

Bisham Parish councillors objected to the ‘inappropriate’ use of the greenbelt site, citing ‘vague and insufficient’ information about its intended use, the traffic impact and employment arrangements.

Other concerns included the application being ‘specious about lighting’, ‘speculative about noise’, and the type of material, plant, machinery and equipment involved.

Councillor Mark Howard requested that the application be called in to the panel if recommended for approval, citing the increased noise and vibration affecting neighbours and the incompatible site entrance for long vehicles carrying machinery with a ‘high centre of gravity’ due to the slope and camber.

A Henley Road resident who lives near the proposed application said they have endured ‘so much noise and vibrations’ from works currently carried out on site, and ‘it can be difficult to hold a conversation outside in the garden’.

“With the success of Stubbings Cafe and Beech Lodge school, the traffic has increased far beyond what the road was designed for,” she added.

The applicant has said the site will not be used for repairs or maintenance, and vehicle deliveries will be between 8am and 6pm. on weekdays and between 8am and 1pm on Saturdays.

Noise levels on all boundaries of the site would not exceed 55dB, and any new artificial lighting placed 2m above ground will only be installed after a report into the proposed external lighting scheme outlines the beam orientation, equipment and glare.

A spokesperson from Stubbings Estate added: “We take any concerns of residents very seriously. The Compound has been used for commercial purposes for many years, but we will take on board any comments from the community as part of the planning process.”

For more details, visit 25/01768/FULL in the RBWM planning portal.