Student storage plan branded an '˜eyesore'

Plans to site 54 shipping containers in Penwortham as storage units for university students have come under attack by concerned locals.
The site of the former Howick Cross Service StationThe site of the former Howick Cross Service Station
The site of the former Howick Cross Service Station

Householders living near the former Howick Cross Service Station in Liverpoool Road have branded the proposal a “blot on the landscape” and say it is inappropriate for a residential area.

InTheBox Solutions Ltd of Milton Keynes have lodged a planning application with South Ribble Council to open a self-storage yard on the derelict plot which, until recently, was used as a pop-up car wash.

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More than 20 neighbours have sent letters objecting to the idea, with one saying it will “blight the district beyond belief.” Another said: “These containers belong on an industrial estate, not in or around a residential area.”

The plan would see the steel containers lined up in rows around the site which is on a main road and bounded on three sides by houses.

A planning statement to the council says the company has reached an agreement with the National Union of Students “to be the preferred storage partner for students across the UK.

“The aim is to provide affordable storage for students from outside the area who need to store possessions securely during holidays for UCLan and the University of Lancaster.”

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The company says the development would “have no unacceptable impacts on neighbouring properties. A previous scheme, incorporating another car wash at the front of the site, was not proceeded with after talks with council officers because of “numerous concerns.”.