AN APPLICATION seeking permission to refurbish a vacant industrial building has been granted.

A bid for a certificate of lawfulness has been sent to council planners for proposed renovations at a premises, formerly occupied by household goods manufacturers Robert McBride Ltd, at Eurolink, Sutton Manor.

A cover letter, penned by agents Williams Gallagher, on behalf of applicant EQT Exeter Advisors Limited, said: “The application site relates to a large detached industrial premises to the south of Eurolink within an established industrial area”.

It said planning permission for the proposed change of use of the building to allowed for flexible employment uses and external alterations had been granted in July 2018.

The letter added: “The premises has been vacant for over three years but is only now available to the market following the expiry of a formal lease, held by the previous occupants, in March 2024.

READ > Operator of delayed 'box park' issues statement

“We are seeking clarification through this application that the proposed refurbishment works constitute permitted development under Schedule 2, Part 7 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015 (GPDO) and that there are no conditions imposed by the operative planning permission for the building (and/or subsequent decisions) that affect the applicant’s permitted development rights”.

A certificate of lawfulness is a means of obtaining a decision from a planning authority that a proposed use or works do not require planning permission.

Planning officer Alex Ball said in a report that "the development is within the curtilage of an industrial building and would be implemented to help deliver an existing industrial process".

This added: "I conclude that the refurbishment works are considered to be permitted development".

The application was granted.