Greenham distribution centre set to bring hundreds of lorries through Newbury and beyond

Applicants, QTR Transport Ltd, have secured permission to utilise a 4,640sqm former aircraft hangar at Greenham Business Park for storage and distribution purposes, on a site owned by Greenham Common Trust.
The building will become the operating base of QTR, a national transport company, who plan to re-locate from Reading, resulting in a 357 vehicles (approx 50 per cent HGV’s and 50 per cent light vehicles) accessing the site every day, between 7am to 7pm.
A total 30 per cent of this traffic is estimated to travel along the A339 through Newbury, 50 per cent along the B4640 via Newtown and Burghclere, and the remaining traffic would head towards Basingstoke.
The plans were approved at a West Berkshire Council planning meeting yesterday (Wednesday) evening, by seven votes in favour and two against, with one abstention.
QTR will stump up developer’s contributions (106 monies) in excess of £200,000, split 55 per cent to West Berkshire Council (WBC) and 45 per cent to Hampshire County Council (HCC). WBC will receive over £185,000, with £102,080 earmarked for A339 highways improvements locally and bus subsidies, £16,240 towards libraries and £16,240 towards public open spaces.
Noise levels were the main issue of around 15 objectors at the meeting, including near neighbour, Jeremy Bartlett, who said:
“I am often woken up at night by the banging of containers and low grinding sounds.”
Chairman of Greenham Parish Council, Tony Forward, argued that QTR’s projected vehicle movement figures were he said: “Significantly skewed,” due to extant (still in existence) planning permission granted at a December 2008 appeal to Pro Logis.
If the entire site was developed in accordance with Pro Logis permissions, he continued, this could result in a total 2,270 vehicles accessing the site daily.
QTR, who have agreed to additional, 4m acoustic/noise barrier fencing at the eastern side of the site, were represented by agents, Richard Sharland, of Ian Sharland Ltd, acoustic consultants and Steven Smallman, of Pro Vision, planning consultants.
Mr Smallman said QTR would bring 110 jobs to the business park, 70 to 80 of which would be from the local area, while the business park was, he said: “a strategically important business area.”
Chief executive of Greenham Common Trust, Stuart Tagg, pointed out the council had powers to close down any noise nuisance and continued:
“Everyone hated larger scale users - we have certainly taken that on board - but it seems to have turned on its head and no-one is so keen on smaller users. It is quite difficult to work out what people really want, except for the business park not to be there.”
Conditions attached to the approval include: no extensions without further planning permission, the access route should be from the west, to reduce noise impact from the east and Woffard Way should not be used, unless in emergencies. All HGV and fork lift trucks should be fitted with non tonal (white noise) reversing alarms and no reversing tonal bleepers to be used on any vehicles between 11pm and 7am,or Sundays, bank or public holidays.