Green light for new storage warehouses at Sunderland Nissan plant

Plans for new warehouses at Sunderland’s Nissan plant to meet a “pressing requirement” for storage have been given the go-ahead by city councillors.

Sunderland City Council’s Planning and Highways Committee approved plans this week for the home of Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Limited on Wearside.

Nissan manufactures hundreds of thousands of motor vehicles every year at the city site and earlier this year, the company celebrated building its 11 millionth car since production first started in 1986.

The company’s plant extends over a large area and includes a number of manufacturing buildings, plant and machinery installations, internal access roads and open vehicle storage areas.

New plans, submitted earlier this year, proposed an extension of the vehicle manufacturing plant for storage purposes and associated works.

This included two linked modular warehouse buildings on part of the existing employee car park running along the eastern edge of the complex.

A design and access statement submitted to council officials stated the new buildings were being proposed to meet a “pressing requirement for additional storage”.

The new warehouses are expected to store axle and suspension components with the wider development aiming to complement the existing vehicle manufacturing process.

It is understood that the two buildings would be linked to an existing storage building and would be fixed to a new concrete hardstanding, along with works to reconfigure the existing car park.

The proposals were discussed by councillors at a meeting of the Planning and Highways Committee at City Hall on Monday, November 27.

A council planning officer’s report recommended the Nissan warehouses for approval, and said the development would “assist in the competitiveness of an existing employment use at the site”.

The role of Nissan at the site was also noted as a “nationally significant centre for automobile production and an important regional employer”.

Council planners clarified that the new warehouse floorspace would “provide additional storage facilities rather than generate new job opportunities”.

At a decision-making planning meeting this week, councillors also approved a separate application for another modular ‘warehouse-type building’ at Nissan for the “storage of new model vehicle trial parts”.

The building, which is linked to part of the ‘body shop’ area, is expected to replace an existing smaller tent structure on the Nissan site.

Nissan hit the headlines this month after announcing it would invest billions to produce new electric versions of the Juke and Qashqai vehicle models at the city plant.

The announcement coincided with a visit from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who said Sunderland would become the UK’s electric vehicle ‘Silicon Valley’.

Councillor Iain Scott, speaking at Monday’s Planning and Highways Committee, referenced the Nissan investment.

Cllr Scott added: “I’m delighted to see that Nissan have renewed their commitment to Sunderland, which has bolstered circa 7,000 jobs and 30,000 more in the [UK] supply chain by confirming that their new EV models will be produced here.

“So I’m more than happy to give this [warehouse] plan the thumbs up and thank Nissan again for their renewed commitment to the city of Sunderland.”

More information on the Nissan planning applications can be found by visiting Sunderland City Council’s website.