Contentious plans to redevelop a disused industrial yard in a residential area of Bromley for 24/7 use have been approved despite fears of 22 HGV movements in and out of the site every hour.
Bromley Council’s Development Control Committee granted planning permission on June 12 to MEC UK Logistics 1 Limited to demolish four buildings and build three new ones for speculative industrial and light industrial use in Farwig Lane.
The 2.9 acre site is within the Farwig Lane Locally Significant Industrial Site (LSIS), just east of Big Yellow Self Storage Bromley that isn’t part of the redevelopment plans.
Within the three new buildings there would be 11 units that, according to developers, would provide “modern flexible employment floor space which can accommodate a range of employment uses, making a highly adaptable, sustainable and attractive development, providing employment space which will cater for modern business needs”.
Bromley planners recommended the proposal for approval as it was deemed a suitable redevelopment of the Farwig Lane LSIS and it stated that it would not negatively impact road safety or residential amenity in the area.
Planners also said the 24/7 operational nature of the proposed industrial development was acceptable in terms of noise pollution, air quality and lighting.
The plans received 34 objections from nearby residents, with concerns ranging from the visual impact of the new industrial buildings on the residential area to the possibility that increased HGV presence in the area would greatly affect local traffic.
Significant concerns were also raised regarding the lack of proposed restrictions on hours of operation, with neighbours stating 24/7 industrial operations would be “fundamentally incompatible” with the residential setting.
One resident commented: “Our main concern and objection remains that the proposal allows for units to be running 24 hours a day, seven days a week for B2 general industrial use, which includes activities like manufacturing plants, heavy machinery workshops, food processing facilities, chemical treatment plants, etc., all of which will inevitably have a negative impact on day-to-day noise levels for residents.”
Residents were also alarmed at the suggestion in planning documents that there could be 22 HGV movements in and out the site every hour. Bromley Council has since stated the applicants have clarified that this number was “very much a worst-case scenario”.
Despite these concerns from residents, no other external consultees raised objections. The council’s own conservation department did object however, fearing that the new development would impact negatively on the setting of nearby listed buildings on College Road.
A draft construction programme was provided within planning documents, with site setup and demolition beginning in September this year, with the redevelopment being completed a year later in September 2026.
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