York BHE Self Storage plans at farm in Strensall refused

An application to keep 73 self-storage containers at Lambs Hill Farm, in Strensall, and remove 31 more has been refused by York Council.

BHE Self-Storage’s plans stated the containers were part of the farm’s important diversification efforts as agriculture continues to struggle with the impact of Brexit, coronavirus and the Ukraine war.

But council planning officers ruled the site was inappropriate in the green belt and there were no benefits which outweighed the harm.

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It comes after 22 self-storage containers were first installed in 2017 after plans were given the go ahead, with the amount on site varying depending on demand since.

Storage for individuals, families and businesses is offered at the site in around 2.4m by 6m-large containers on the site.

Access is off Towthorpe Moor Lane and it is open to customers from 8am to 6pm daily.

Planning permission was previously refused to put 118 and 104 containers on the site in 2022 and 2024 respectively.

The amount of storage containers on site numbered 104 as of June.

Plans stated the containers had been installed on existing, lawful hard-standing on the farm which could be classed as ‘grey belt’ land.

An aerial view of the BHE Self Storage site at Lambs Hill Farm, in Towthorpe Moor Lane, Strensall, York (Image: BHE Self Storage)

Grey belt land refers to sites in the green belt which have already been developed.

The application added income from the storage business helped to subsidise the cost of the farm’s management of cattle on Strensall’s Common and Stray.

Plans stated: “Farm diversification projects draw substantial support from both national and local policy and have become increasingly important for the farming industry nationwide.

“Self-storage which meets the needs of a local demographic is a growth sector, it reduces the need for local people and businesses to travel.

“BHE Self Storage has created one full-time job and one part-time job since it commenced operations several years ago, thus making a contribution to the local economy.”

But council planning officers stated the previous planning decisions for the site had already ruled the harm to the green belt had not been outweighed by the farm’s diversification efforts.

Officers stated: “It is considered that the proposed development does not form grey belt development and therefore very special circumstances would be needed to justify it.

“There is no clearly demonstrable unmet need for the proposed development and the development is not in a sustainable location, as it would require car journeys from across a significant area.

“The harm to the green belt is added to by the harm to visual amenity
and character of the landscape.”