M&S wants to set up extra festive storage at Shrewsbury store
Marks & Spencer has applied for permission to install temporary storage units on one of its sites in Shrewsbury for three months every year to help cope with Christmas trade.
The store has lodged the planning application with Shropshire Council for the refrigerated units to be put up on its site at Meole Brace Retail Park.
If approved, the two containers would be in place from November 1 to January 31 each year in the current service yard at the back of the store.
A letter from Laura Mellon, on behalf of the company, said the units would each give the store an extra 60 square metres of temporary storage space and would help the M&S Foodhall store cope with the extra demand from customers over the festive period.
She said: "The container would be used for the storage of cold food goods and therefore shall be refrigerated.
"As the containers incorporate chillers, it is recognised within the manufacturer's specification that the noise emitted from these units shall not exceed 60db when measured from 10 metres to the front of the unit.
"The container is required to increase the storage capacity at our store over the Christmas peak trading period. During this time, Marks & Spencer experiences very high levels of demand for goods and therefore turn over a higher level of stock than at other times of the year.
"The additional storage space reduces the risk of the store running out of stock and consequently improves consumer satisfaction.
"It has purposefully been located adjacent to numerous plant and service facilities so that it does not appear out of context.
"The containers cannot be viewed from any public vantage points and will cause no alterations to store deliveries and the storage containers will be sited to the rear of the store and will cause no obstruction to the store at any time.
"Access to and from the site will not alter as a result of the proposal.
"The proposal will be manufactured from steel and finished in white.
"By virtue of its scale and the temporary nature of the structures it is considered that the impact will be minimal on the existing store and its surroundings.
"As Marks & Spencer is a key retailer in the locality, the proposed temporary facility is required operationally to meet our customer expectations and in turn contribute to enhancing the vitality and viability of the area."
The M&S Foodhall opened its doors at the Meole Brace Retail Park in August last year and includes a 50-seat cafe with outdoor seating and an in-store bakery.
