Large temporary logistics centre in Colnbrook seeks permanent status

A 97,800sqm logistics centre on the greenbelt in Colnbrook is seeking planning permission to stay permanently.

Based on land on the north side of the Colnbrook bypass, Colnbrook Logistics Centre (CLC) is used for the delivery, storage, screening and assembly of construction materials for Heathrow Airport.

Heathrow currently has 140 ongoing construction projects, say the applicants, SEGRO (Colnbrook) Ltd, and their representatives.

These projects ‘require the secure and reliable and storage function that the logistics centre provides in immediate proximity to the airport,’ they said.

Approximately 95 per cent of materials for the construction programme pass through the CLC.

Temporary planning permission for the logistics centre for a 10-year period was originally approved in November 2001. Permission was recently extended until April 2024.

Now SEGRO is looking for permission to set up permanently – and has outlined the changes it intends to make to the site to improve it.

It is looking to replace two temporary buildings with a single, permanent, three-story one.

This will ‘reduce the building footprint and provide an opportunity for reinstating soft landscaping’ in one of the demolished building locations.

“This part of the site is considered to be most visible from the public domain and the removal of this building will reduce the overall impact of the built form on the site,” the applicants wrote.

There is also a plan to relocate parking around one building to an existing hardstanding area, reducing overall hardstanding on the site.

The changing of part of the land from hardstanding to greenfield status will improve drainage, the applicants added.

Dense tree and shrubbery planting is set to be introduced, to screen the site from observers in the east and south.

This strategy aims to ‘integrate the site into its greenbelt surroundings, minimising the overall visual impact,’ the applicants say.

The developers are also keen to stress the economic advantages of CLC being allowed to set up permanently.

Current CLC operations support a core staff of 159. About 98 per cent of the current staff are estimated to originate from local boroughs.

Building the replacement building is estimated to bring about 180 full time jobs.

CLC also 'plays a key role in supporting the wider operation of the airport,' the developers argue.

“Without the CLC, Heathrow Airport could not function and these benefits would be lost,” they wrote.

“The economic benefits of the proposal are therefore significant and substantial weight is afforded to them.”

This ‘substantial weight’ is needed, as the site is technically in the greenbelt. As such, ‘very special circumstances’ must be demonstrated to justify any development there.

The applicants argue that these economic benefits outweigh any harm to the greenbelt.