SCOTTISH haulier JHP Transport has threatened to move its business south of the border after the local council claimed it had been operating illegally for four years.
The chilled and ambient transport company based in Rigside, said it would move its 130 strong workforce and 31 HGVs unless South Lanarkshire Council did not grant it retrospective planning permission.
Problems began when the council discovered the company had not applied for a change in use of the land, from agricultural to storage and distribution and therefore it would have to apply for planning permission.
Jillian Slater, JHP Transport financial controller, said the company thought correcting the mistake would just be ‘a paperwork exercise’, however, the council refused the application on the grounds that the company was operating at night and there were noise issues.
She added: ‘The council said they’d be willing to pass it if we were just working during the day, not at night. But that’s no good for us, it’s a 24-7 operation, 365 days a year.’
The company is now appealing in the hope that ‘common sense will prevail’ but if not then director Mr Prentice says, ‘he will take the jobs out of Lanarkshire’.
A spokesperson for the council said a noise impact assessment showed that several nearby properties were affected by HGVs passing in the night, and added that lorry movements had ‘already caused significant damage to the public road’ and the council concluded that ‘road widening and strengthening would be needed if the company were to remain at the site.’
The statement also said the site at Townhead Farm ‘is not the right one for this type of use’ although it remained committed ‘to helping the business remain in the local area’.
Copyright © 2020 Transport News