Stratford-based Sibbasbridge Limited submits plans to demolish its HQ to build six homes that would fund its relocation in town
A CONSTRUCTION firm in Stratford wants to demolish its headquarters and replace it with six homes to fund a relocation to a more suitable site.
Sibbasbridge Limited, which has been based in Stratford for more than 60 years, has submitted the planning application, with bosses saying that the facilities at 175A Evesham Road are “dilapidated” and “no longer fit for purpose”, and that the office space on the site was “insufficient” for their needs.
Director Chris Gold said in a letter that the business wants to remain in Stratford, adding: “Relocating to a more suitable location within a commercial environment will enable further expansion of our business.
“The residential development of our current home would release funds to purchase such a site and fund commercial expansions.”
The proposal to demolish all the existing buildings and replace them with six homes follows the withdrawal of an application in June this year for the construction of seven properties, responding to a request for marketing information and a highways objection.
A pre-application presentation of the proposals was put in front of the town council’s planning consultative committee on 8th November and it was recommended solar panels should be added to the homes – these are in the updated drawings.
It said in a planning document that discontinuing the existing site, which has a range of single-storey buildings made from wood with corrugated iron roofs, would “significantly improve” the character of the area by removing the commercial activities and associated traffic movements of vans, trucks, skips and HGVs.
The planning statement added removing the “unattractive” buildings would improve the appearance of the site and the scheme would not result in the loss of any land of high environmental value or exacerbate flood risk.
An expected decision date of 10th February 2023 has been set by Stratford District Council.
