An extension to a sawmill which was built to try to improve safety after an employee was killed must be removed, Nottinghamshire’s planning committee has ruled.
Tom Brooke, 31, died in 2019 after being hit by a moving vehicle at the family business, John Brooke Sawmill, off the A46 near Widmerpool.
The business has since added an expansion to comply with the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) requirements for better on-site safety.
A field was surfaced over to provide extra space to store wood and green waste, allowing pedestrians and vehicles to be separated.
However, work on the one hectare extension was completed before it had planning permission.
Nottinghamshire County Council’s planning committee today (November 7) turned down a retrospective application for the extension.
Emma Brooke, daughter of business owner John and brother of Tom, said the decision was a blow for the company.
“We went to extreme lengths after my brother’s death to improve safety, and separate pedestrians and vehicles,” she said following the meeting.
“We had to make this expansion for our traffic management plan and to keep people safe. The last thing we want is another fatality.
“We’re a small family business. My brother was killed on-site, my mother died a year later, and I’ve been off work due to my mental health.
“There has been so much trauma and stress, and unfortunately the planning application fell to the bottom of the pile.
“This bit of countryside was a quagmire and was better served as a yard.
“I don’t feel like the committee was looking at the big picture and what it means for our business.
“We will have to go back to the drawing board with the HSE – it is going to be hard work because of this disruption.”
She added the company is likely to appeal the committee’s decision.
The council’s planning officers said the application didn’t properly address concerns about drainage, ground contamination and dust control.
Councillor Mike Adams (Con) said: “I’m incredibly sorry to hear about the applicant’s loss.
“However, we can’t allow builds in the open countryside without permission. Protecting the countryside is so important, and we need to understand the ecological impact before any changes are made.”
Councillor Philip Owen (Con) said: “[The applicant] says they had been unable to put in a planning application, but that hasn’t stopped them from starting work. It isn’t acceptable.
“It’s sad, because if they had waited then we might have been able to resolve some of the problems.”
He added that the business already had issues with dust which hadn’t improved.
Councillor Sam Smith (Con) said: “I appreciate this work is to stop another accident in the future, but we need to consider the environmental impact.”
Unless the decision is overturned, the surfacing will later need to be removed and returned to soil.
