A new builders' merchants and 13 industrial units could be built on a former petrol storage hub in Colwick. Gedling Borough Council's planning committee will decide plans this week for the former Total fuel site, on road number three in the Colwick Industrial Estate.
The proposals are being submitted by Chancerygate, which acquired the derelict land in November 2021 and said hundreds of jobs could follow. The 6.35-acre site has been unused since 2019 and the main building has since been demolished.
It comes after residents spoke in favour of the £20million transformation back in February last year. Retired Charlie Cole, 71, said: "Well in times like this you can never say more jobs anywhere is a bad thing. I'm sure more than a few jobs went from the area when the Total fuel place closed. Plus a load of land with nothing on is no use to anyway really is it I suppose."
Read more: Key step forward on 'unexciting' £25m plan for former Total Fuel site in Colwick
The centre was used to distribute fuel nationwide but was decommissioned as part of Total's scheme to 'simplify' its logistics. The refinery announced in 2015 it planned to make changes to its operations and the closure of the terminal in the borough of Gedling was part of its logistics programme.
A Sainsbury's has opened near the area and earlier plans for the supermarket had included the prospect of a restaurant and pub on the former Texaco and Esso oil depot, which had been derelict for years. But the Health and Safety Executive and Total condemned the proposed development plans for the pub, saying it was in an area which would be be a 'major hazard' in the event of an 'uncontrolled explosion'.
The site itself was divided into zones depending on the proximity to the fuel, with most of the proposals, including the Sainsbury's, falling outside the danger zone. Now the developer is close to giving the land a new lease of life with plans for the 13 units and the merchants recommended for approval by council officers.
If councillors do give the plans the go-ahead on January 11, it could make way for 137,852 square feet of industrial space and the creation of 'hundreds of jobs'. Planning papers reveal the development would include five blocks of commercial buildings, with four blocks to be divided into individual industrial units.
The fifth block would be for the builders' merchants and all units would continue to be accessed from the existing entry points off road number three. The applicant is also proposing 73 parking spaces for the industrial units and 14 lorry parking spaces.
Fourteen of the 73 spaces will be fitted for electric vehicle charging, and 13 disabled bays will also be provided. A further 32 spaces will be provided for the builders' merchants, including five electric charging bays and one disabled bay, alongside three lorry bays.
The Labour-run authority added that it will seek a local labour agreement for the construction, helping to boost local industry and create more jobs. In papers, the authority's planning department said: "The application site is within an established industrial estate and will enhance the employment use on offer.
"The built form would respect the character of the area and amenity of adjacent users. Highway safety would be respected and parking provision is considered to be acceptable." Confirming its acquisition of the land in November 2021, Chancerygate said the wider scheme has an estimated value of about £20m.
Mark Garrity, the company's development director, said at the time: "We're very pleased to have secured this development opportunity in a prime industrial area of Nottingham. Colwick is an up-and-coming area of the city benefitting from extensive redevelopment and regeneration. The delivery of this site has the potential to create hundreds of jobs in the local area."
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