Factory move gets go-ahead

Osborne Refrigerators has been given the go-ahead to turn warehouses and former stables at 124 Rose Green Road into manufacturing premises.

Arun District Council has given planning permission for the change of use of the buildings to general industrial, storage or distribution and business purposes.

The approval by Arun planning officer Keith Wheway concerns buildings in the western portion of Osborne Refrigeration's current site along Rose Green Road.

The company wants to create 542 square metres of offices in its new premises with 1,478sq m for making fridges and freezers.

A further 207sq m will be devoted to warehousing.

A total of 60 workers will be employed in the buildings.

This is the same as the current workforce who make 60-100 fridges a day.

Osborne Refrigation managing director Jeff Osborne wants to shift production to the new site about 100 yards from the current factory of 62,000sq ft to enable that to be sold.

The building is intended to be demolished '“ with numbers 120, 122, 130 and 132 Rose Green Road '“ and replaced by 90 dwellings. These will be 32 flats and 58 houses.

No decision on the housing application by Barratt Southampton Ltd has yet been made by Arun District Council.

The council has received 16 letters objecting to the proposed housing.