Councillors object to merchants’ makeover

PLANS to refurbish the former Gibbs and Dandy site have been recommended for refusal.

Stark Building Materials UK wants to open a Jewson store on the site in Reading Road.

The company, which owns both brands after acquiring Jewson in March 2023, wants to demolish part of the current structure and make alterations.

Once complete the existing Jewson branch at 99 Reading Road will close and the operations will be relocated to the new site.

Stark wants to refurbish the external façades of the buildings with new timber cladding, roller shutters and metal sheet cladding over existing brickwork, as well as repair existing cladding and add new customer entrance doors.

It has also applied for permission for a covered racking storage area, used for storing wood and materials outside, as well as rationalisation of the site, including the relocation of nine parking bays, collection bays, sheltered cycle parking, external storage and a servicing area.

The application was recommended for refusal by Henley Town Council’s planning committee on Tuesday last week on the grounds that there was insufficient information to make a decision.

Councillor Gavin Jackson said drawings provided by the applicant were not clear. Referring to the plans, he said: “It’s pretending to be an illustration.

“There are things on it and you think, ‘What are those lines?’ I am not clear as to what the street scene is from this package of drawings. It certainly seems to present itself as being much larger and closer to the road.”

Councillor Michelle Thomas said that she was happy that the plans were not expanding the original footprint of the site but was concerned that it was not clear what materials were being used.

She said: “It’s difficult to tell what the materials are and it’s in a very important part of Henley because it’s on a very exposed part of the Reading Road and the entrance to one of the biggest headquarters we have in Henley [Invesco], so I do think it’s an important location to get right.”

South Oxfordshire District Council, the planning authority, is set to make the final decision by Monday, September 1.