The Ludlow Nut Company is one of Ludlow’s many success stories. It is now planning to move from the Eco Park.
The company was set up by Helen and Bob Graham in 2004. It’s gone from strength to strength and is outgrowing its Eco Park premises. An application has been submitted for a new unit on the vacant plot on the Foldgate Lane retail area, between Pets at Home and the Hagley Place Care Home.
This will be a low impact development, which suits its position adjacent to a care home. Exterior lighting will be limited. This is welcome as the retail area can be a significant source of light pollution, especially when Pets at Home leave their external lights on all night.
I think this is good use for a site that has been vacant for a long time. It is quite hard to attract major retailers to sites like Foldgate Lane because shops selling comparison goods like to group together on bigger retail parks like Meole Brace. We also have a problem with congestion caused by queues for petrol at the Co-op and that won’t go away until a second petrol filling station is built. If a major retailer moved in, it would make this worse.
The plot already has planning permission. This application finalises the details of the scheme through discharge of conditions (17/00128/DIS). There is no opportunity for the public to comment.