Expasion plan amendments for Armstrong Medical in Coleraine are approved

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has approved amendments to planning approval granted in June 2022 for expansion of the Armstrong Medical facility in Wattstown Business Park.

The plans will provide increased warehouse and production floorspace with an adjoining single storey element providing laboratories, canteen and changing facilities. Proposed externally are two storage silos and staff car parking.

The amendments relate to one building on the site, known as the Amsorb building, along with a silo farm and staff car park. Plans for the storage warehouse extension remain unchanged.

According to the planning statement, the changes involve the reconfiguration of the Amsorb building to bring office accommodation to the roadside with a slight increase in overall floorspace.

There are further minor internal changes and addition of a generator compound to the west of the building.

The statement says: “The proposed amendments are minor in nature and relate to the configuration of the Amsorb building only. All other elements remain unchanged, including the storage warehouse extension, extended service yard, marshalling and storage yard and associated site access.”

The existing premises provides specialised hospital equipment and supplies including neonatal care, breathing and medical equipment, vents and humidifiers.

The planning statement says: “It has been demonstrated that the proposed amendments are to be compliant with the Local Development Plan and regional planning policy and as such it is respectfully requested that planning permission is granted.”

The development management officer report concludes that “the proposal is compliant with all planning policy and material considerations”.