Julian visits Pavers to back their plans to expand
September 16, 2023
Julian has visited Pavers at their Poppleton HQ to discuss their current plans to expand, which were recently rejected by City of York Council’s planning committee.This application follows a rejected planning application in 2022.
Pavers, which now sells 5m pairs of shoes a year and has to use off-site warehousing, presented its plan for a £19m investment in York last year. In that version, it tabled proposals for a 121,319 sq ft warehouse, providing the kind of modern space required at a time when online sales are booming.
However the firm, which employs 300 people locally, failed to convince the planning committee that the “very special circumstances” threshold required for Green Belt development had been met.
While moving has its advantages, Pavers’ commitment to our city means they have adjusted plans and resubmitted them for consideration. Pavers estimates 130 new jobs will be created under new plans and help secure the firm’s future in York for many years to come.
Speaking after the city visit, Julian commented:
“I am 100% behind Pavers and their ambitions to expand. As a city, we need to back business to ensure York is seen as an attractive place to invest.
“We cannot stand against the tide and hope we won’t suffer any downside. We can serve residents better by embracing the change, ensure York is at the forefront of northern investment and by allowing businesses to create more jobs.”
