Sleep Factory Ossett: Wakefield Council rejects plans for luxury bed company’s extension
A luxury bed firm has been refused permission for an extension which has already been built next to its factory.
Wakefield Council rejected the retrospective planning application by Sleep Factory to expand its premises in Ossett.
Nine residents living near to the business on St Oswalds Place objected to the new building with complaints about HGVs deliveries creating a traffic hazard.
Council planning officers refused the application on the grounds of access and highways safety.
A decision notice said: “The application as submitted fails to provide sufficient information to demonstrate that the site can operate safely.
“In particular, the supporting plans do not provide a layout which illustrates that heavy goods vehicles can enter the site in a forward gear, turn and exit in a forward gear. “
In 2018, the council’s planning committee voted in favour of the firm’s application to extend the premises by 255 square metres.
But an officer’s report said the total measured floorspace on plans submitted to the local authority showed an additional 285 square metres were provided.
The document said: “It is worth noting that the extension as built on site appears to be attached to the host building and also includes a further extension to the side of the building.
“Revised plans were requested to cover this and to allow for a decision to be made based on what has been built on site.
“However, revised plans have not been received.”
The extension application proved controversial when it was given the green light by councillors more than six years ago.
Residents accused the firm of keeping them awake at night with antisocial deliveries and said they were worried the expansion would allow it to become a 24/7 operation.
The firm said it needed an extension because it was running out of space.
In response to residents, the company’s director Nadeem Khan said the extension was necessary because its raw materials had been piling up in the yard outside the factory because of its lack of storage space.
He said the firm did not take HGV deliveries during the early hours and there were no plans for that to change.
However, one resident told the committee he had recently heard an HGV being unloaded at the site at about 03.30am.
“This is unacceptable. We do feel we’re entitled to a bit of privacy at some point,” he said.
“As residents, we’ve very little impact on the Sleep Factory, but they have quite a lot of impact on us and the surrounding area.”
Mr Khan disputed the claim and said: “There is no reason why there should be a big lorry there at that ridiculous time in the morning.
“I don’t believe that did occur, and if it did, I’d certainly look into it.
“We’ve worked with the neighbours as much as possible and we’re trying to address the concerns they have.”