A PLANNING application has been submitted for change of use of agricultural land to accommodate 32 shipping containers for storage has been submitted to Herefordshire planners.

The tenant of Ashe Farm, Pencraig stated that it is an established agricultural holding comprising a range of modern and traditional farm buildings, yard areas, and surrounding agricultural land.

In 2019, six storage shipping containers were placed them on the farmyard. These were used for general storage required by the business and their existing farm diversifications.

These containers were positioned on the area of existing hardstanding adjoining the south side of the main farmyard. This area was further extended and dug out in 2021 and more containers were gradually added, with there now being a total of 18 containers situated on site by October 2023 of which 13 containers are let out for general storage to the public.

The containers are typically used for domestic storage, such as storing winter items during summer, and summer items over the winter such as garden furniture, with one individual leasing four containers for furniture storage.

The application is to formalise these existing change of use of agricultural land to accommodate storage containers, and to include a provision to fil the site and allow for an additional 14 containers to be positioned in the future to be let for general storage. The site has already been levelled and groundworks completed for this by October 2023.

The proposed layout indicates a neat, linear arrangement of containers set within a defined yard space with no encroachment onto open agricultural fields.

The fields surround the site to the south and the west, rising steeply to one of the driveways to the farm, which joins the Glewstone to Pencraig road, this creates natural screening of the site.

The application is for retrospective permission for the 18 existing containers and the Installation of 14 further standard length containers, completing the already-prepared hardstanding platform.

The applicant states this would simply complete the site given the site preparation has already been completed.

Visibility to the site is inhibited by the existing hedgerows and topography of the bank and there are no residential dwellings situated in this elevation.

The applicant’s landscape plan provides for a series of additional mitigation and enhancement measures around the container yard and access track.

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Comments can be made on the application, number P260971/F via Herefordshire Council’s planning portal until, Friday, May 22. For more information about planning applications in your area visit publicnoticeportal.uk.