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Planning Permission has been approved for Newry company S & W Wholesale to build their new headquarters at the Chancellors Road in Newry.
The 16,730sqm storage and distribution warehouse is situated close to the A1. Permission was approved by Council at their January Planning Committee meeting at Monaghan Row, Newry on 10 January.
Just over a year ago the private company was changed to a Employee Ownership Trust Model and the new premises are a vitally important part of that decision.
Michael Skelton, S&W Wholesale CEO said, “We are absolutely delighted to have been given the go-ahead for our new headquarters. The business has been curtailed in recent times through space constraints and operating across multiple sites. This new facility will allow us to maximise our operational efficiency, while giving our valuable team of more than 300 people a pleasant, fit for purpose working environment.”
A speaker representing Chancellors Road residents spoke at the meeting objecting to the proposals. A total of 321 objections had been received concerning the application, citing matters including road safety, scale of the project, lack of public transport, noise and hours of operating. Objections were replied to by planners in the report presented to Councillors. Councillors voted 10 in support, 1 abstention and 1 against.
S&W Wholesale currently operate out of premises at Carnbane in the city and business owners say the new £15m investment will support the business’s future growth plans right across the island.
The warehouse includes ancillary office accommodation. a service yard, car parking, wash bay and recycling area, security cabin, landscaping, earth bund, site access including realignment of Chancellors Road and right hand turn lane and all other associated site works. The warehouse will be served by 167 car parking spaces, 59 lorry spaces and 12 cycling spaces.
Anthony McVeigh, Deputy CEO & CFO, S&W said “We would like to thank all those who have supported us with this project, and we look forward to working with the local community to be a responsible neighbour in our new location. This move is very important for our customers, staff, retailers, and our entire supply chain base. We would also like to thank our fantastic team who have been very patient throughout this process. We look forward to them having brand new facilities where they can thrive and enjoy their workspace.”
S&W Wholesale, previously known as Savage & Whitten is an amalgamation of two local wholesalers and has been operating in Newry for more than 100 years. Its brands include Nearby, Todays and Cuppa. This new facility will see in the region of 120 construction jobs supported for the duration of the build and will allow S&W to grow its payroll from currently just under £10 million to circa £12 million in the near future.
S&W’s project team included TSA Planning, Clarman Architects, AtkinsRealis, Aona and King Communication. It is expected that construction will commence later this year.
Planning Permission was granted with 37 conditions attached including operating hours limited to 0600hrs -1900hrs Monday to Friday and 0700hrs to 1700hrs on Saturdays and closed Sundays. A noise management plan also must be developed as well as a programme of archaeological work.
