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£23m warehouse jobs bonanza
Reporter: Beatriz Ayala
Date online: 14 July 2010
ONE of Oldham’s biggest employers has drawn up new £23m expansion plans which will secure 1,000 current jobs and create 120 new ones.
Home shopping retailer JD Williams wants to expand its logistics operation in Beal Lane, Shaw, and create up to 120 additional jobs over the next five years.
The company had a controversial planning application for a 127ft warehouse refused by Oldham Council in 2008. An appeal against that decision was then refused by planning inspectors in March, 2009 after campaigners formed the SOS group — Stop Overdeveloping Shaw — to fight the plans.
The application was refused due to visual and landscape impact of the proposed building.
JD Williams now intends to submit a revised planning application with proposals for a new building measuring 78ft in height.
This is 40 per cent lower than the previous application and lower in height than Lilac Mill, one of the distribution centres currently onsite.
The new building aims to improve efficiency and capacity in manually processing orders.
Previous plans for a multi-storey car park have been replaced by surface level parking with no additional spaces.
And traffic has been reduced by 40 per cent due to better use of the delivery fleet.
Ian Carr, general manager at JD Williams, said the smaller warehouse was in response to the way the firm had changed its operational activity over the past 18 months due to the economic climate, as well as addressing previous concerns.
He said: “Our plans represent substantial investment in our Shaw site and we remain committed to engaging with our neighbours regarding the proposals.”
A public exhibition will be held next month for local residents to view the plans and speak to members of the development team.
The company plans to lodge the application with Oldham Council in September and hopes to have a decision by December.
Mr Carr added: “The forthcoming public exhibition will allow local people to view the plans in more detail and for us to hear the views of the community before submitting a planning application.
“We are confident that through on-going dialogue, local people will understand the importance of the proposals for safeguarding the future of our operation in Shaw, as well as be reassured that we are very mindful about keeping the visual impact of the new building on the surrounding area to a minimum.”
WHAT do you think of the new proposals? E-mail news@oldham-chronicle .co.uk
Comments
it could take the place of new football stadium on Broadway after all its got good transport links? and its 1,120 Jobs in Oldham
Ask for more than you want-expect a refusal, then resubmit something of the order of what you anticipate you might need. I cannot see with the downturn in the economic climate that folk are going to increase their spending, particularly on catalogue stuff. Tesco Extra and the like must have damaged the J D Williams empire.
Not long ago, many fields and several farms were lost nearby at junction 21 to encourage the likes of JD Williams away from the town centre. This huge plot stands virtually empty and we are faced with more unwanted development within our town. Someone from the council needs to stand up and speak for the people of Shaw and remove the HGV,s which thunder down our streets relentlessly night and day, and reposition them somewhere more suitable.
I live in Shaw and it doesn't bother me that J.D Williams are looking to expand their present premises, people seem to forget that Shaw was a working mill town many many years ago so there has always been mills in this area, you all need to get a life, if J.D Williams pull out of Shaw that would kill the town with all the job losses.
New jobs?....yes this could be true however are them jobs for the local people around Oldham? JD Williams only seem to employ slovakian and polish people nowadays. More jobs yes...for the locals that are desperate for jobs?...I think no.
"Not long ago, many fields and several farms were lost nearby at junction 21 to encourage the likes of JD Williams away from the town centre. This huge plot stands virtually empty"
This is another site that could have become a rail connected freight interchange point to remove lorries from our roads.
Again, because of Metrolink road haulage will be the only option available.
Small minded thinking by councis who can't think beyond retail for economic development.
Farse!
Hang on 120 new jobs over 5 years - possibly ? Hardly a bonanza. Ex Rail Traveller is right - surely the new Kingsway Business Park by the M62 is the right place for this operation.
the people refusing planning permision proberly dont even live in shaw,i worked at the briar mill when courtaulds owned it and there were huge ugly mills all over shaw but they fed the families if you dont like the big tall building dont look at it after all it would be no worse than the other factories,its just a shame they employ so many foreign workers on pay we would struggle with instead of local talent.they are a major employer..dont drive them out as shaw will die.
Chaddyender, most workers travel in from the outskirts of manchester. Many are from overseas. This hardly compares to the cotton workers who worked and lived beneath the shadow of the mill chimneys.
Would you not agree that Shaw would be a much more pleasant place if it were not for the thundering HGV's 24/7, and the huge souless warehouses buildings?
bograt50, I am one of the people who have been against planning on the JD Williams site and also the vice chairman of the SOS group and I am very proud to say I DO live in Shaw, Infact just around the corner from the JD Williams site! and I agree with Red Delpher and ex rail traveller re: the Kingsway site, Will they never follow goverment guidence and move to a purpose built site such as Kingsway!
I wonder how many of the current workforce live in Oldham, let alone Shaw itself? There may be a few more jobs created but I suspect most of them will go to people who do not even live here. So what real benefits would this bring to Shaw and Oldham?
The opposition was to the proposal to expand the ugly newer warehouse that sits alongside the Mill.
The Mills themselves fit with their surroundings, but the huge warehouses do not. The newer plans look a bit more palatable.
If JD Williams did move away from the site, what would happen to the mills and warehouse then? I'd rather they be in economic use than yet more dereliction.
Have Your Say
It's a shame the traffic levels couldn't be reduced further by putting some freight on the railway rather than the road.
That could have been done but Metrolink/Oldham Council have been blind to it all so they could waste money on trams to Oldham town centre.
You can't put freight on a tram track. Instead we have to put up with being woken from our sleep by lorries pounding the roads. The roads that are falling apart due to the lorries.
Great planing by OMBC one track shopping future.
By Ex Rail Traveller @ 14/07/2010 12:59:59