Bed Manufacturer Denied Retrospective Extension Approval

A company specializing in luxury beds has had its request for permission for an extension, which has already been constructed adjacent to its factory, denied. Wakefield Council rejected the retrospective application from Sleep Factory to enlarge its facility in Ossett, citing the firm’s inability to demonstrate that the site could “operate safely.” Nine residents residing near the business, located on St Oswalds Place, voiced opposition to the new structure, expressing worries that heavy goods vehicle (HGV) deliveries would create a traffic hazard. Sleep Factory previously encountered objections during a planning dispute in 2018, when local residents complained that activities at the premises were causing nighttime disturbances. On that prior occasion, the council’s planning committee had voted to approve the company’s proposal to expand the premises by 255 sq m, after the firm asserted it was experiencing a shortage of space. However, an officer’s report, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, indicated that the total measured floorspace on the plans submitted to the council actually showed an expansion of 285 sq m. A decision notice from the council stated: “The application as submitted fails to provide sufficient information to demonstrate that the site can operate safely.” It further elaborated: “In particular, the supporting plans do not provide a layout which illustrates that heavy goods vehicles can enter the site in a forward gear, turn and exit in a forward gear.”