A CHANGE-OF-USE application concerning a former detergent factory building in Barrow has been given the green light by the borough council's planning committee.

The former McBride site in Park Road is to be utilised by BAE for the 'long-term storage of slow-turnover items used at their other sites'.

In a report produced ahead of yesterday's planning committee meeting, case officer Maureen Smith had said: "They [BAE] have advised that these are items that would be able to be transported with standard heavy goods vehicles and road-going vehicles and are likely to be items such as raw materials, scaffolding, piping, metal plates etc.

"Operations would be carried out on a 24/7 basis with around 40 employees."

READ MORE: Change of use proposed for former detergent factory building

The plans, submitted by Mr S Fountain, of BAE Systems Marine Limited, are also to see a 3m-high fence erected around the high-voltage switchgear compound as well as a new section of fencing in the south-east corner of the site 'to connect the existing fence line'.

"Some other minor works are proposed which do not require planning consent, such as line-marking the car park, repairing the existing roller shutter doors and installation of internal racking," said Ms Smith in her report.

She had recommended the application for a change of use to 'class B8, storage and distribution' for approval prior to the meeting.