Mike Ashley’s retail empire has won legal backing for a new headquarters in Warwickshire, even though it was deemed it would permanently damage the county’s green belt.
The 275-acre Frasers farm in Ansty was recommended for approval by planning officers, although they found it would “cause serious and permanent damage to the green belt by reducing its openness”.
In a 208-page report, planning officers ruled that the benefits of the development justified the “damage” to the green belt land, considering it a “critical condition”.
The project consists of five warehouses of up to 3.3m sq ft, each said to be larger than the village itself; 100-bed hotel; a place to test marketing ideas; offices; gym, swimming pool and other sports facilities; a training school with classrooms and a hall; a nursery; multi-storey car parks; and a helipad.
Benefits from the site include a potential £69m boost to the UK economy, and the potential to support up to 750 more stores with 11,000 jobs in Britain. A 10pc boost to the nearby Rugby economy is also expected.
It is thought the center will be the biggest of its kind in the UK, with planning chiefs at Labour-run Rugby Borough Council noting that Google, McLaren, Dyson, Nike and Adidas have similar campuses around the world. The foundation was designed by Grimshaw, the construction company behind the Eden Project.
Planning officials said: “The full range of economic, environmental and social benefits considered and the range of benefits outweigh the combined weight of damage to the green belt and any other damage, including commercial and property damage. [and] inheritance damage.
“Consequently, the necessary conditions necessary to justify the development … exist and the application must be approved.
“The economic benefits of the country weigh heavily in the balance.”
The retailer, which was founded by Mr Ashley in 1982 and has brands including Sports Direct, Flannels, Jack Wills and Evans Cycles, will also generate around £9m in business costs for the council.
The main objective behind the green belt policy is to “keep the land completely open” to reduce the so-called “urban sprawl”. In this case, the plans were taken to provide a gap between Coventry and the towns of Nuneaton and Bedworth.
Other “damages” identified included “extreme damage” to Coventry city centre. Its city council has warned of a potential 4pc loss in returns as head offices are likely to see fewer retailers and rival shops close.
The plans for the new headquarters were met with 194 letters of objection, but only one in support.
The protesters are angry that the farm land is being used for other purposes.
Jerry Foss, who heads the Save Ansty Green Belt campaign group, warned that the fields “cannot be brought back” once lost.
Mr Foss said: “Indeed, it was a matter made by the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer last year for such land to be preserved because of the importance of farmland needed to maintain food in the UK.
“Like Sir Keir [previously] he said, ‘Losing a farm is not like losing any other business – it can’t come back’.
“So it is unfortunate that, looking at what the Treasury is saying about inheritance tax in farms, farmers may lose profits in agricultural businesses and see the sale of land as one of the few ways they can save their money and money. “
Foss said the recommendation to approve the proposal “needs to prioritize low-cost imports” from “low-income countries” over “the importance of the UK’s manufacturing industries”.
These plans will be discussed and voted on at the council committee meeting this week.
Mr Frasers bought the land for £53.5m three years ago.
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