H & R Gray Haulage - Future Development

PUBLIC CONSULTATION EVENTS FOR A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT PLANNING APPLICATION AT BANDEATH INDUSTRIAL ESTATE

H&R Gray intend to apply for Planning Permission in Principle to Stirling Council later on this year (2023) or early 2024. The proposal will likely be described as follows.

Mixed use development comprising Class 6 (storage and distribution) including new warehousing and areas for outside storage, Class 5 (general industry) including workshops and industrial units, and Class 4 (business) new offices and light industrial units; new roads and hardsurfaced parking areas for HGVs, trailers, and cars; energy related proposals including roof mounted solar panels, ground mounted solar panels, wind turbines, EV charging facilities, and battery storage; other facilities for HGVs, including weigh bridge and refuelling facilities including tanks for diesel and hydrogen: new drainage and other infrastructure; and associated hard and soft landscaping.

This is your chance to have your say on the proposals, and your comments will be considered in preparing the Application to be considered by the Council in due course.

We welcome your comments at this pre-application stage, but this in no way means that you cannot also comment separately to the Council when the Application is formally submitted.

This webpage https://hrgrayhaulage.co.uk/futuredevelopment provides some initial information on the proposals.

Two in-person public consultation events will also be held on the 9th and 23rd of November between the hours of 4pm and 8pm at Throsk Hub. Representatives of H&R Gray, and their Design Team, will be available at those meetings to answer questions, and you will be invited to leave comments.

There is also a contact form on the webpage that you can complete, with any comments.

Alternatively, please ring Paul Houghton on 07780 117708, or email him on paul@houghtonplanning.co.uk if you wish to discuss the proposals separably to the above procedures. You can also email comments directly to Paul.

We are accepting comments until the 14th of December.

Introduction

H & R Gray Haulage is a local, family run business that has been operating for more than 30 years – providing professional and reliable road haulage services across Scotland and throughout the UK. The business grew out of a farming enterprise, moving to it’s base at Bandeath Industrial Estate in 2001, where it has successfully branched out to pallet distribution and vehicle maintenance to a growing number of local hauliers and operators.

This proposed development seeks to create capacity for H & R Gray Haulage to expand their current base, so that the business can continue to thrive throughout the 21^st Century. The development will help H & R Gray Haulage to grow, to employ more people within the local area, and to continue to serve and support many local businesses based in Stirling and around the Central Belt.

The project is based on sustainable economic and environmental ideas; providing more capacity for storage and distribution of goods, increased provision for vehicle maintenance services, staff training and welfare – and all with a focus on creating renewable energy and enhancing biodiversity.

The proposal will enable H & R Gray to grow and support the local economy; for the next 30 years – and beyond.

Site Plan Key

01 - Site Entrance and H & R Gray Main Office
Comprising operational and management facilities, office space, meeting room, customer waiting area and staff welfare facilities.

02 - HGV Check-in and Weigh Bridge

03 - Staff Car Parking

04 - Maintenance Workshop and Training Building
Comprising 10 bays and 2 ATF Lanes, parts and storage area, office space, manager’s office, canteen, staff changing and lockers and training facilities (office, classroom, and external fork-lift training area).

05 - Workshop Customer HGV Parking

06 - H & R Gray Fleet HGV Parking

07 - Storage and Distribution Buildings

08 - SUDS Basins for Sustainable Rainwater Drainage

09 - HGV Washing and Fuelling Services

10 - Timber Storage Area

11 - Wind Turbines

12 - Tree Planting and Landscaping to Site Periphery

13 - Electric HGV Charging

14 - Battery Storage

15 - Substation

Supporting the Local Economy

H & R Gray Haulage is already a significant player in the local economy.

This development would enable the business to grow further. This is economically important – both in terms of employing local people directly, but also in terms of continuing to provide maintenance services for countless local businesses.

Sustainable Phased Development

This proposal represents a very significant investment in the future of H & R Gray Haulage and the role it plays in the local economy. It’s important that the development is carried out in a commercially sustainable way – so it is expected that construction works would be split over several phases, starting with the creation of road access and landscape infrastructure, the main office and workshop building, and the wind turbines.

Renewable Energy

There is an environmental imperative for new developments seek to utilise renewable energy opportunities as much as possible, and H & R Gray Haulage are committed to this.

There is an intention to provide solar PV panels to the south-facing roofs and to erect two wind turbines – so that the energy consumed can be provided by renewable sources as much as possible.

Biodiversity and Landscape

The proposed plan shows extensive tree planting – both around the periphery of the site, and at specific locations within the site.

While this will provide visual screening to the buildings within the development, there is a clear understanding that providing this planting can enhance the environment and create biodiversity corridors for local wildlife.

Vehicle Circulation and Safety

The health and safety of its employees, and anyone who visits their site is of fundamental importance to H & R Gray Haulage.

For this reason, the proposed site plan has been prepared on the basis that HGV vehicles will circulate the site on a one-way loop. This will largely negate the need for vehicles to reverse, and create a safer environment on site.

Flood Risk / Sustainable Drainage

The distribution of buildings across the site has followed an initial flood risk assessment exercise.

It is anticipated that all rainwater run-off from roofs and hard surfaces will be handled on site with ground infiltration, detention, and retention; rather than discharging to mains sewers. This also creates opportunities for improved biodiversity in / around sustainable drainage swales and ponds.