A new industrial and storage building providing 241sqm of ‘much needed’ business space is planned for Rookley.
Manufacturing and office supply firm Betapak said its proposed industrial unit would expand its business at Pritchetts Way, Rookley.
It would create a further 20 jobs and was an ‘important opportunity’ for economic regeneration and investment.
In a Planning Statement prepared on behalf of Betapak, Planning & Development Hub (IW) Ltd said:
“Betapak is a successful manufacturing and office supply business based at Rookley which is looking to expand its storage and distribution facilities at its existing site at Pritchetts Way.
“The company is also very successful at offering business floor pace to local small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to start and expand.
“SMEs remain the largest employment growth sector in the UK, and especially so on the Island.
“The proposed site consists of an underused area of land within the boundary of its main storage building. The land is currently used for the storage of old vehicles. It is overgrown and offers an opportunity to provide much needed business space within an existing industrial park.”
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The proposals’ creation of 20 jobs, including drivers, would ‘generally’ have higher than average Isle of Wight salaries.
Planning & Development Hub (IW) Ltd added the plan was a ‘significant investment’ by Betapak. The application has however received an objection from highways service provider Island Roads.
In a consultee comment, Island Roads said:
“The proposals envisaged in this application have implications affecting the highway network (intensification in use of a sub-standard access due to limited visibility) and therefore this office raises an objection based on the following grounds: DM2 (Design Quality for New Development).”
DM2 Design Quality for New Development is a policy included in the council’s local development framework, the Island Plan.
Included in the policy is the following expectation:
“Provide an attractive, functional, accessible, safe and adaptable built environment with a sense of place.”
There you go. So much for this meddling governments tax hike and the negative impact on investment and employment.
If you the article it states ,could increase employment by 20, it does not say it will, if you listened to many business owners as I did this last week on the island they are more concerned about trying to retain who they have with the increased costs as opposed to employing anyone else.
Doesn’t surprise me, with the increased N.I,
Business rates and minimum wage increases
many Companies will be closing down or
laying off staff.
The future is grim, that’s Labour for you.