Successful manufacturer may quit NW over parking row

A SUCCESSFUL manufacturing company employing hundreds of people is threatening to move out of the region amid a planning row.

The Cartwright Group, which is Britain’s largest maker of truck trailers, says it may move its operation to North Wales such is its frustration over the local council’s refusal to allow it to continue to use part of its 50-acre site as a temporary car park for 150 vehicles.

The family-owned company, which employs 400 on a business park in Broadheath, Altrincham, turned over £64m last year.

Despite the recession Cartwright has continued to grow and recently took on 80 more staff to help it meet demand.

Its application for planning permission was rejected this week, despite it having had permission for temporary use of the green belt land for car parking in 2005.

The permission was conditional on the company building a multi-storey car park on another part of the site, but the cost of doing this – more than £2.5m – made it  uneconomic.

Director John Cartwright is requesting meetings with local MP Graham Brady and senior Trafford Council officials to resolve the situation.

He said: “We are a successful local company and that is a very rare thing in the current economic climate. While many firms are struggling we are in the fortunate position of being able to offer more work to local people – we have taken on extra staff and our workforce is getting 12–15 hours a week in overtime.

We are heading for a record year but being denied permission to use this land as a car park puts great pressure on our existing facilities.

“The directors and the workforce would all like this to be resolved so that the company can continue to prosper and continue to provide employment for the people of this area.

“We have already had to move some of our operations elsewhere because of restrictions imposed on us. If this cannot be resolved then the rest of our company will have to follow.

“We’ve had talks in the past with the Welsh Development Agency and now that the M56 has been extended, the Deeside Industrial Park is looking like an attractive alternative.

“We are expanding our base in Northampton and opening a new site in Avonmouth. It would be a tragic irony if we then had to move from our home base because of this issue.

“We are not asking for money or any special assistance. Just a little common sense.’’

Trafford Council executive councillor Mike Cornes said: “All planning applications are considered in accordance with relevant planning legislation.

“In this instance the planning application failed as it constitutes inappropriate development on green belt land and no special circumstances were presented to justify a departure from this well established national planning policy.

“Trafford Council is committed to supporting businesses across the borough and has recently introduced a range of measures to support the local economy.

“These have included, amongst others, increased promotion of the business rate relief scheme, increasing the short-term lets for vacant council owned units in towns with rent free start-up periods, introduction of a business start-up package and next month we will be introducing free parking after 3pm in council run town centre car parks and on street parking.

“Where possible we will support businesses in any way which we are able.”