Agenda item

22/00882/OUT - land adjacent to MIRA Technology Park, Caldecote

Outline application (all matters reserved) for extension of MIRA Technology Park to comprise employment use (class B2), associated office and service uses (class E g), storage (class B8), new spine road, car parking, landscaping and enabling works (cross boundary application with North Warwickshire Borough Council).

 

Late items received after publication of agenda:

 

Following consideration of the item at the Planning Committee of 17 June 2025, the item was deferred to allow for a site visit to take place. A site visit took place this morning, 15 July 2025, to view the junctions of the A5 with Drayton Lane and Woodford Lane, Fenny Drayton.

 

Further, the item was deferred following comments made with regards to National Highways reviewing information submitted by the objector, Extra Room Self Storage (ERSS). ERSS submitted additional information to National Highways on 19 June 2025, including data underpinning their transport modelling, and an independent audit of their modelling undertaken.

 

National Highways

 

National Highways have subsequently confirmed that, as further information has been submitted by a 3rd party, not by the applicant, National Highways will not review this information. National Highways confirmed to the Council on 20 June 2025 that:

 

‘...Nationals Highways is unable to consider any further the ‘Updated Review of A5 Mitigation Report’ and the subsequent information supplied by DTA consultants in support of the report, given that this information does not form part of the proposals put forward by the applicant.

 

Therefore, our position on the proposals remains as stated in the formal conditioned response issued by Russell Gray on 22 November 2024’.

 

This confirmation was provided by National Highways to ERSS on 3 July 2025.

 

Information provided by the applicant:

 

The applicant has provided a summary of the history of the application with regards to proposed works to Drayton Lane and Woodford Lane junctions with the A5. This can be summarised as below:

 

·         August 2022 – application submitted showing traffic lights to both Drayton Lane and Woodford Lane junctions

·         June 2023 – junctions reassessed following completion of PRTM traffic modelling. Traffic lights at both junctions considered to result in queuing to the A5 and objection from Witherley PC due to potential for increase in rat running through Fenny Drayton

·         October 2023 – left in, left out mitigation proposed to both Drayton Lane and Woodford Lane junctions

·         December 2023 – proposal for junctions to remain unchanged and finacial contribution to National Highways for a feasibility assessment for safety enhancement scheme. Application considered and approved by North Warwickshire Borough Council (NWBC) subject to final approval from highway consultees. Meeting with Police in June 2024 included police concerns over enforcement of a 40mph limit to the A5 and discussions regarding speed cameras. National Highways confirmed average speed camera scheme not supported

·         October 2024 – current proposal for traffic lights at Woodford Lane and left in, left out at Drayton Lane. Design review undertaken and verbal confirmation provided by National Highways, Leicestershire County Council and Warwickshire County Council that proposal would be acceptable and road safety audit instructed.

·         December 2024 – National Highways confirm acceptance of current proposal for junction mitigation to Drayton Lane and Woodford Lane

 

Other options for the junctions as proposed by ERSS have been considered by the applicant and have been discounted as below:

 

Option 1 Leave Drayton Lane Junction as existing

 

Highway Authorities would not support (on safety grounds) – there is insufficient gaps in through-traffic on the A5 for vehicles exiting the junction to enter the main carriageway leading to excessive queues and delays under future year operational conditions.  As flows on Drayton Lane and Woodford Lane increase through growth and displacement (rat-running) from other routes, this will be exacerbated.  Increased delays will encourage drivers to take risks in puling out onto the A5 leading to a significant increase in accident risk

Option 2 Traffic Lights at both Woodford Lane and Drayton Lane

 

This was the original proposal in the application and was not supported by the Highway Authorities because of significant concerns regarding queue build-up on the A5 (strategic road network).  The Highway Authorities also deemed that the benefits in terms of significant reductions in queues and delays on Woodford Lane and Drayton Lane will further encourage rat running through Mancetter and Fenny Drayton that they are seeking to eradicate.

Option 3 Traffic Lights at Drayton Lane and LILO at Woodford Lane

 

This would displace more traffic towards Mancetter leading to a marked reduction in capacity and a significant increase in queues and delays on the B4111 approach to the Mancetter Island. It also does not address the significant accident record at the Woodford Lane junction that includes several severe incidents involving traffic turning left out of Woodford Lane.

Option 4 Longabout like existing Redgate junction

 

Roundabout is an expensive solution (in context of wider enhancements already being delivered) and would not address the rat running traffic through Fenny Drayton, which the Highway Authorities are seeking to eradicate. There is also insufficient land within the adopted public highway to deliver the minimum sized half-roundabouts at both ends of the junction complex to accommodate turning of larger vehicles within the required highway geometric / safety standards.

Option 5 – Roundabout at Drayton Lane and LILO at Woodford Lane

 

A roundabout at Drayton Lane to the required highway geometric / safety standards cannot be delivered with the adopted public highway at Drayton Lane. Roundabout is an expensive solution (in context of wider enhancements already being delivered) and would not address the rat running traffic through Fenny Drayton, which National Highways are seeking to eradicate. LILO of Woodford Lane pushes traffic through Mancetter and leads to significant increase in queues and delays on the B4111 approach to the Mancetter Island.

 

 

In addition to their review as above, the applicant maintains that the proposed option put forward by ERSS, to include traffic lights are Drayton Lane, would go against the wishes of the Local Highway Authority to remove vehicular trips from Fenny Drayton, instead increasing trips through the village.

 

Further, the linked signals scheme put forward by ERSS relies on land outside of the control of the applicant to be delivered. There is no guarantee that this can be made available and therefore it is not within the gift of the applicant to offer such a solution.

 

Information provided by ERSS:

 

The objector, ERSS, has provided a document to all Planning Committee Members on 14 July 2025. This can be summarised as below:

 

·         ERSS welcome a deferral for a site visit to be undertaken;

·         Further information has been provided in the form of traffic survey data and an independent audit to National Highways;

·         Request a refusal of the application or a deferral to allow for the applicant to engage with National Highways

·         Maintain a view that the proposed mitigation works to Drayton Lane will negatively impact on the ERSS business

 

The document submitted goes on to state that 75% of ERSS users will experience longer journey times and that all traffic using ERSS will pass through the village of Fenny Drayton (note, this is not considered to be accurate, some users will still only use Drayton Lane and the A5). The applicant considers that any rat running concerns to Fenny Drayton could be mitigated by additional measures at the eastern side of the village or within the village.

 

ERSS maintain that the proposal will include an unreasonable restriction on the business and propose that there is a safe and workable solution. If the application is not to be refused, ERSS propose a further deferral of the application to allow the applicant to engage further with National Highways.

 

Conclusion:

 

Further information has been provided by ERSS with regards to modelling data and an audit of their proposed highway works to include traffic lights to Drayton Lane / A5 junction.

 

However, National Highways have declined to review this information provided, as the information is not submitted by the applicant, instead being submitted by a 3rd party, in this case an objector. The stance of National Highways is their decision to be taken. ERSS have suggested that a further deferral of the application could include the applicant engaging further with ERSS, however the applicant is not pursuing this, instead proposing a scheme for left in left out at Drayton Lane that has been reviewed and approved by National Highways and both Leicestershire and Warwickshire local highway authorities. Further, it is not clear how deliverable the proposal by ERSS is. Any delivery of a mitigation scheme is dependent on the applicant, not on a 3rd party, and in this case the applicant is not seeking to deliver a 3rd party mitigation scheme.

 

Other options have been proposed for Woodford Lane/Drayton Lane and these have been assessed by the applicant and discounted as above. Without any review by statutory consultees, including three highway authorities, and without any degree of confidence over being a deliverable scheme, the proposal for traffic lights at Drayton Lane by ERSS is not considered to be taken forward.

 

Recommendation:

 

Taking into account the report, including paras 8.37 – 8.45, together with the further information submitted by an objector, response from the applicant and the subsequent resolution to grant permission by NWBC on 9 June, the recommendation remains that planning permission be granted, subject to a S106 agreement and planning conditions as set out in para 11 of the report.

Minutes:

Outline application (all matters reserved) for extension of MIRA Technology Park to comprise employment use (class B2), associated office and service uses (class E g), storage (class B8), new spine road, car parking, landscaping and enabling works (cross boundary application with North Warwickshire Borough Council).

 

The ward councillor spoke on this application.

 

It was moved by Councillor Bray, seconded by Councillor R Allen and unanimously

 

RESOLVED –

 

(i)            Permission be granted subject to

 

a.    The conditions outlined in the officer’s report;

 

b.    A S106 agreement to secure off site highways improvements including bus service improvements and with regards to employment and skills training.

 

(ii)          The Head of Planning be granted delegated authority to determine the final detail of the planning conditions.

Supporting documents: