EXCLUSIVE: Developers set to appeal refusal of 6 million ft2 plus logistics scheme on M40 motorway junction

By Liza Helps, Property Editor, Logistics Matters

THE COUNCIL went against its own planning officer’s recommendation to refuse planning on the four co-joined applications across three sites in a prolonged planning committee meeting last week.

This is despite  approving all but one of the applications in July last year. Following a legal objection the Council called in all four applications including the ones previously approved to review them all together and decide an outcome. After a four hour discussion all  were refused despite planning office recommendations to the contrary.

Objectors had stated that the overall scheme was not allocated in the Local Plan, would cause unjustifiable visual intrusion and harm into the open countryside, that the applicants’ environmental statement was inadequate and even that planning officers had misdirected councillors.

Despite the calculation that some 2,400 new jobs would be created and that there were occupiers lined up to take space including the likes of international companies such as DHL/GXO, objectors said these would be ‘low-wage low skilled jobs’ and would not be filled by locals resulting in thousands of extra car journeys and congestion around Junction 10 of the M40 motorway.

Planning officers did warn the planning committee that if the applications were refused it was likely that the developers would take the matter to appeal potentially costing the council money.

It has been reported that a number of councillors abstained from voting and the refusal passed only narrowly.

Tritax Big Box’s application was for 198 acres of land where it was looking to build up to 3.2 million ft2 of space while the Albion Land applications sought a further 2.99 million ft2 of industrial and logistics space across two sites.

The planning officer’s report noted that for the Tritax site, a detailed quantitative assessment of need and supply at both district and wider PMA level carried out by Savills for Tritax concluded that there was a significant need for logistics floorspace particularly along the M40 corridor. This has been upheld by Cherwell Council’s own consultants Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) which was instructed to review Savills’ evidence to help establish the level of need and supply at both district and the wider PMA level.

The planning officer said: “Despite some minor differences in approach, LSH have confirmed that they are in broad agreement with Savills’ conclusion that the proposed development would bring a range of economic benefits to the local and wider economies.

“Moreover, I am advised by LSH that the Cherwell Economic Needs Assessment (ENA) 2025 has led to an increased estimate of need, reflected in the draft review Local Plan 2042. The ‘upper end’ of the range of employment need figure is now much more closely aligned with the level of need identified by Savills, despite the differences in methodology.”

Logistics Matters has reached out to Tritax Big Box for comment.