A builder's merchant in Leamington has been granted permission for an extension despite grumbles from neighbours. 

Jewson plans to put up a 7.9-metre high and 30-metre wide open-sided extension at the back of its premises on Rugby Road, Leamington Spa, while also installing a three-metre mesh fence and gating near the front. 

The extension will offer covered outdoor storage, while the amendments at the front relate to security. 

Warwick District Council's planning committee heard the case because six neighbours complained, citing the impact on property values, increase in noise and disturbance, obstructed views and reduced light, plus the loss of privacy.

Planning professionals concluded that the new site plan did not differ significantly from what was already there and deemed the changes acceptable, something that was unanimously supported by councillors tasked with making the final decision, but there was some sympathy. 

Cllr Becky Davidson questioned why landscaping features had been removed and queried what could be done.

"I'm not sure why this has been done," she said. 

"I want to sympathise with the residents who live next to this site. I appreciate this is an industrial development and that is not going to change.

"The extension is not going to impact that but when we do developments like this, we ask them to provide some sort of benefit to the local residents which is usually in the form of landscaping or trees.

"The fact they have taken away a lot of that and I don't think there is any proposal for additional landscaping – is that something we can request?"

It was agreed that a condition would be weaved in to request the submission of a landscaping plan with the aim of adding to the amenity of the area.

However, another plea was rebuffed despite councillors feeling it would be among the easiest of elements to add.

The question of whether solar panels should be installed was raised, but that was not something that could be conditioned.

Cllr Bill Gifford said: "Given that the applicant sells solar panels, it might be something we could suggest.

"We can't have it as a condition but we can suggest they might put solar panels on their roof rather than just having them stacked up in storage waiting to be sold."

Legal adviser Nigel Bell replied: "It isn't part of the application, we can't insist on it. For all we know the roof might not be able to take the weight, there could be all manner of issues."