AN APPLICATION to extend a south Cumbria home and garden centre is set to be scrutinised by Barrow Borough Council's planning committee.

The proposal for Charnley's, situated at Dalton, would see 556 sq metres of additional storage and 341 sq metres of additional retail space created.

The work to the back of the site would be facilitated by the reduction in size of two existing polytunnels.

The plan, submitted by Marc Charnley, is to be brought before the council's planning committee on Tuesday. 

A report produced by case officer Barry Jesson ahead of the meeting says the reasons given for the planned extension primarily relate 'to storage issues resulting from changing market conditions following on from Covid and Brexit'.

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"This has required the business to order more seasonal products in advance of time in order to ensure sufficient stock and availability, as ‘just in time’ deliveries and stock availability are not as reliable or guaranteed in the same way as before," says Mr Jesson.

He describes the scale and design of the proposed two-storey extension as 'in keeping' with the rest of Charnley's. It would be built, he says, using matching materials and would mirror, in height, another two-storey section at the southern end of the site.

He notes that views of the extension would largely be screened.

Cumbria County Council's highways department initially objected to the proposal, acknowledging, says Mr Jesson, that the existing access to the site was 'acceptable for any potential small increase in traffic' but expressing concern that 'inadequate parking capacity had been demonstrated'.

"A parking statement and plan was subsequently provided to better demonstrate the impact on the car park capacity," says Mr Jesson.

"Rather than a straightforward expansion of the building into previously unused space, the extension encapsulates a mixture of existing indoor and outdoor sales space.

"Furthermore, an area of former retail space within the centre is now used for storage, which would in itself result in a lower requirement for spaces.

"The agent has provided calculations comparing the existing and proposed arrangements which demonstrate there is no net gain in parking space requirement stemming from the proposal."

The county council has subsequently confirmed that the submitted details are acceptable.

Mr Jesson concludes that the benefits to the business 'outweigh any low-level visual harm' and that approval of the proposal would enable Charnley's 'to adapt to changing circumstances, which should help safeguard employment and continue to benefit the local economy'.