Owners of the new four-storey storage facility being built next to the Tesco superstore at Kew in Southport want to remove the provision of offices at the site due to a lack of ‘local market demand’.
Sure Stone also wants to reduce the number of car parking spaced from 68 to 41, giving the area over to landscaping instead.
Builders are currently hard at work creating the huge structure on a parcel of land off Southport Road.
The site will be used for a new self-storage facility, after planning permission was granted by Sefton Council.
It is aimed at local residents or business owners who require additional storage space.
The scheme was originally intended to provide office space too, but owners have now applied for permission from Sefton Council to remove this element from the scheme.
The proposed amendments include “the removal of ancillary office floorspace, façade alterations, and reduction of car parking spaces”.
A new self-storage facility and offices could be built on land off Southport Road next door to the Tesco superstore in Kew in Southport
The car park would be accessed via a new junction on the access road.
A submission sent to Sefton Council on behalf of Sure Stone, and prepared by Stantec UK Limited, said: “Following a detailed review of the design and a review of local market demand, it was determined that the ancillary office floorspace would no longer be required and that it would be more appropriate to focus the facility on self-storage provision.
“Due to this amendment, glazing to serve the ancillary office floorspace is no longer required.
“Similarly, not all the 68 permitted car parking spaces will be required as the facility will be operating in a slightly different manner.
“(A Sefton Council planning officer) raised concerns that the loss of glazing at the front elevation would create a large blank area. We have taken their feedback on board and have formulated an advertising scheme to break up the front façade and to provide visual interest.
How the new Sure Store facility in Kew in Southport couild look under plans submitted to Sefton Council
“This application seeks to amend the approved scheme to remove the ancillary office floorspace at self-storage facility.
“Due to this amendment, glazing to serve the ancillary office floorspace is no longer required and not all the 68 permitted car parking spaces are required.
“The car parking provision is proposed to be reduced from 68 car parking spaces to 41, a reduction of 27.
“The amended parking provision comprises 21 car parking spaces within the main car park to the front of the facility, which includes 2 disabled spaces, 2 electric vehicle charging point spaces, and 4 ‘cable-enabled’ spaces.
“A further 20 spaces for loading / unloading will be provided in the gated service yard.
A new self-storage facility and offices could be built on land off Southport Road next door to the Tesco superstore in Kew in Southport
“In place of the car parking spaces which are no longer required, an enhanced landscaping scheme is proposed. This will include grass, wildflowers, native hedge, ornamental bedding, spot planting, and new tree planting.
“It is also considered that the amendments result in betterment, improving the approved scheme.
“With the removal of the office floorspace, there will be fewer vehicular trips to the site and less demand for car parking spaces. The reduction in car parking spaces allows for additional landscaping to be introduced at the site.
“The amended canopy design at the Site entrance is also a unique feature of high-quality design.”
A new self-storage facility and offices could be built on land off Southport Road next door to the Tesco superstore in Kew in Southport
In a previous planning application to the Sefton Council, Senior Architectural Technologist Ashley Glen from C4 Projects said: “The proposed development would make efficient and effective use of the site providing a self-storage facility and office offerings to the surrounding area, providing jobs and business opportunities for smaller businesses such as start-ups etc and also providing redevelopment to the local area.
“The building use class is fitting for its location.”
The 2.3 acre site is on land on the outskirts of Southport.
The proposed development would produce a “modern and functional building” in terms of layout, scale and appearance.
There would be three permanent staff at any one time.
Operational hours when the reception is manned will be: 8am-6pm, seven days a week.
The building will be made up of multiple small rooms (storage units) ranging in size from 35sq ft to 350sq ft.
Planning approval was granted by Sefton Council in September 2022.
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