Councillors will next week decide whether an outdoor furniture company will be granted planning permission to redevelop its depot on the outside of Leamington Spa.

Woodberry Outdoor Furniture submitted plans to Warwick District Council in 2024 to demolish its existing offices and warehouses on Bericote Road to make space for bigger storage space and new offices.

Run by the Barr family, the business supplies pubs, hotels, holiday parks, golf clubs, tourist attractions, universities, councils and schools.

The application is due to be discussed by the council's planning committee next week, with a report written by planning officers recommending the plans be approved.

"When considering the changes, which incorporate the removal of existing buildings/structures and containers and subject to a landscaping and materials condition officers do not consider that the proposal will give rise to harm to the character of the area," the report said.

"Having regard to the above and subject to conditions, officers consider that the development would be sympathetic to the rural character of the area experienced within the locality of the site."

If approved, the plans would see 1,608 sq.m of new storage space created.

However, the scheme has been met with an objection from Old Milverton and Blackdown Joint Parish Council.

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The council said the scheme would be "tidier than what currently exists", but said it would "still impact on the openness of the green belt".

"This development is disproportionate within the green belt and the parish council is concerned there is insufficient reason to make this proposal an exception," it said."

In its application, Woodberry said its current setup needs a makeover but the renovation costs of upgrading its existing offices would be too high.

"The business has been successfully growing over the years and needs new larger and better quality office space to enable the business to continue to grow," the company wrote.

"With the business expanding there is a need to provide additional storage space in order to accommodate the stock that is held on site. 

"At the moment the existing warehouse to the rear of the site is full which means stock that is awaiting to be distributed out to customers is stored outside. 

"This represents a security risk in terms of potential theft of the stock and degradation of quality while it is stored outside."

See the full council report here.

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