PLANS to build a stationery warehouse on the outskirts of Royston have been given the go-ahead. District councillors approved the plans for the industrial development, despite strong opposition from Royston Town Council and planning officers. At a meeting

PLANS to build a stationery warehouse on the outskirts of Royston have been given the go-ahead. District councillors approved the plans for the industrial development, despite strong opposition from Royston Town Council and planning officers. At a meeting of North Herts District Council's Royston committee, officers recommended the development south of the A505 Royston bypass be refused. However, councillors backed the proposal from John Dickinson Stationery, branded an "eyesore" by town councillors only in January. District councillor Tony Hunter said he thought the plans should be approved because of the demand for the jobs. "I think we already know there is a need for more employment in Royston," he said. Members agreed Royston would benefit from re-located workers spending money in the town, which Cllr Fiona Hill said would have a "good knock-on effect". Planning control and conservation manager Mary Caldwell told members: "I've got reservations about if it's the right time to be granting a development of this size and location." Members heard the site was outside the Royston Development Limits and that the excessive height and scale in comparison to the surrounding buildings would detract from the landscape. Planning officer Simon Ellis said approving the development was pre-empting the outcome of the Local Development Framework document. But Cllr F John Smith said: "If industry and business in North Herts is going to expand, then we have to look at where they might go." - The application will be decided by the council's appeals board and is likely to be sent to the Government Office for the Eastern Region for an eventual decision.