Newtown factory plans delayed

A decision to allow a factory to be extended in Newtown which could create 25 new jobs, has been put on hold for a few weeks.

This was due to issues being found with the procedure of bringing the planning application in front of councillors for a decision.

At a meeting of Powys County Council’s Planning committee on Monday, October 14 councillors were expected to decide a proposal from Pear Stairs which is owned by Boys and Boden.

They want to extend a factory building and reprofile land at Unit A on the town’s Vastre industrial estate.

The proposal for the former Laura Ashley Ltd distribution centre has also received 13 objections.

As the item got underway following the committee’s return from their lunchbreak, councillors were advised to postpone taking a decision on the application.

Senior planning officer Kate Bowen said: “Unfortunately with this application something has risen during the meeting whereby we are going to be recommending that we defer consideration of this application.”

She explained that “inappropriate public consultation” had occured in the lead up to the meeting “in terms of committee procedures.”

The Local Democracy Reporting Services has been told that objectors to the factory application wanted to be allowed to have more public speakers express their concerns to the committee.

This is because they had seen a Powys county councillor a community councillor followed by a further five speakers list their objections against an application that was debated earlier in the meeting.

This was around an application to change of use of a house in Caehopkin near Abercrave into a children’s care home.

Cllr Elwyn Vaughan moved the officer’s recommendation to defer the item and this was agreed by the rest of the committee.

Committee chairman, Cllr Gareth D Jones said: “Can I sincerely apologise to the members of the public that are here.

“I know your time is precious.”

The factory application which was recommended for approval by planning officers is expected come back to the committee’s next meeting for a decision.

Boys and Boden bought the site in November 2020 and have said that they need the extension to support an expansion of the firms operations.

They have said that moving their existing Pear Stairs factory to Newtown is “integral” to their company’s future as they have “outgrown” their current base at Mill Lane in Welshpool

They said that it will “not only” safeguard the 62 existing jobs but also increase the workforce by 40 per cent through the creation of 25 new jobs.