Self-storage plan for former club site refused

Plans to open a self-storage facility using shipping containers in the car park of a former working men's club have been refused.

A proposal to install 10 containers at the site of the ex-Prince of Wales WMC in Pontefract would have had a "significant detrimental impact" on residents living near the site if given the go-ahead, planning officers said.

The application, by Prince of Wales Self Storage, received 21 objections, including two from local councillors, after it was submitted last month.

Opponents said the development would lead to a loss of privacy for residents and said it would be "oppressive and overbearing."

A planning statement submitted to Wakefield Council on behalf of the applicant said: "Unfortunately, like many traditional clubs, the club no longer operates and is in a state of disrepair."

The document said the applicant had a lease on the car park and wanted to use it to site the containers, which would be accessible 24 hours a day via a fob system.

The proposal also included charging a bond to customers "to prevent misuse or criminal activity" and CCTV, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

However, objectors raised concerns over the potential for late night disturbance at the Ferrybridge Road site as the proposals included operating the business on a 24-hour basis.

Meanwhile, one objector to the plan said the visual impact of the scheme was "not in keeping with the surrounding residential character", while another voiced concerns over increased traffic and noise.

Rejecting the scheme, an officer's report said: "By virtue of their scale, prominent location and incongruous design, the siting of 10 storage containers would have a significant detrimental impact upon the visual amenity of the application site and neighbouring sites resulting in significant harm to the character of the area."

The officer also said the application lacked sufficient information about the potential impact of noise on the surrounding area if the site was approved.

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