Proposals to upgrade warehousing facilities at iconic South Tyneside business Barbour have been lodged with council planners.
South Tyneside Council’s planning department recently registered an application for J Barbour and Sons Ltd in the Bede ward.
The business, founded in 1894, is now based in Bede Industrial Estate and has been making and selling waxed jackets for more than 125 years.
New plans aim to erect a new storage warehouse to serve Barbour’s main warehousing and distribution operation at the rear of units 11-12, Bedesway.
A design and access statement, submitted with the planning application, states the development would “make use of an existing underused area of the main site rather than acquire additional land”.
The statement explains that the plans would “improve the capacity in circulation and access by HGVs” through the provision of four new “dock levellers”.
In addition, the plans include developing an “energy efficient and sustainable modern warehouse building that can play its part in reducing the carbon footprint of the Barbour company operation”.
The design and access statement goes on to say: “It is proposed that the carbon footprint of the building should be as low as possible.
“This is proposed to be achieved by a combination of high energy efficiency measures in the construction and the use of solar panels on the main roof.
“If solar panels are considered not acceptable they can be removed but in view of the council’s climate change commitments it is important that renewable sources of energy are used”.
According to a planning application submitted to South Tyneside Council’s planning department, the storage warehouse development would create around 20 full-time jobs.
A separate planning statement, submitted to council planners, adds the development would help improve Barbour’s operations on site.
This includes meeting “the need for a significant increase in storage space and HGV handling capacity for the company”.
The planning statement reads: “The buildings on the Barbour site have been adapted over the years to the needs of the company and are not the optimum configuration or form to meet the distribution needs of the company.
“There is currently a serious logistical problem with the site and buildings with both the lack of storage space and the inability to get the clothing into and out of the site quickly enough”.
A decision on the storage warehouse plan is expected to be made following a period of council consultation.
For more information on the planning application, or to track its progress, visit South Tyneside Council’s online planning portal and search reference: ST/0125/22/FUL
