
Plans to expand an industrial estate in Lancaster have been recommended for approval.
The proposals are to build two new buildings for general industrial and/or storage use, comprising 14 individual units, on undeveloped land at Port Royal Avenue on the Lune Business Park.
The applicant is Craig Sneddon of Derwent Lodge Estates Limited.
Lancaster City Council planning officers have recommended that planning permission be granted.
The first proposed new block would be 80.2 metres in length, 18.8 metres in width and with a height of six metres to the ridge. The smaller Block B would be 39.1 metres in length, 18.8 metres in width and six metres to the ridge.
The proposal also includes the creation of accesses from both Port Royale Avenue and Europa Way, along with internal access road, parking bays and a turning head.
A council report says: "The development provides a flexible approach to the types of economic and employment uses sought within the Lune Industrial Estate development opportunity site. The proposal also fully accords with (policy) which specifically supports the regeneration of the Luneside area for modern employment facilities.
"The design of the development will be similar in nature, scale and appearance to that already present within the Luneside Industrial Estate and that which has recently been approved within the larger scale redevelopment proposal located immediately to the north.
"As such the proposal is not considered to adversely impact the character and appearance of the townscape in this location.
"The applicant has also demonstrated that the proposal would not conflict with flood risk policy and that the development will incorporate a sustainable drainage system.
"The only matter weighing against the proposal, is the absence of net gains in biodiversity and impacts on existing trees/hedgerows. Whilst new planting will mitigate against some of the losses, the development cannot secure net gains in biodiversity despite exhausting options to secure this off site.
"It is concluded that this would not amount to a significant policy conflict, nor is it considered significant enough to substantiate a refusal of planning permission."
The council's planning regulatory committee, a group of elected councillors, will make the final decision on planning permission.
They will meet at Morecambe Town Hall on Monday September 30. The meeting begins at 10.30am and is open to the public.